Now to Western Kentucky and efforts to tackle the housing crisis.

It began a couple of years ago when community partners came together to brainstorm ideas.

That collaboration will pay off dividends for families who need an affordable place to call home.

Our Laura Rogers has more from Davis County.

The community came together, identified that we had a. Problem, that problem, as a lack of affordable housing.

With what happened in 2007 and 2008 with the housing market.

We just haven't recovered as a nation.

Not enough houses to rent.

There's not enough affordable for rental units anywhere, and there's not enough houses that are in the range of median to low income for folks to buy.

While it's not a unique challenge to Owensboro.

What is extraordinary the collaborative effort that has been forged to provide solutions.

We're not in the housing and development business, but we have a role to play.

We had to figure out what that role might be.

With Owensboro Health says housing is imperative to a community's well-being.

It is a social driver of health.

Housing impacts so many things related to your health.

That includes areas like education, transportation and food security.

There's a number of areas that are impacted by where you live and where you live matters.

We manage the federal grants for the city of Owensboro.

We are an entitlement community.

That's a program under the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD.

The City of Owensboro Five-Year plan had identified affordable housing as a top concern.

It's always been a priority for Owensboro.

It's just been a growing need, of course, nationally, and that trickles down to the local effect.

The Kentucky Housing Corporation agreed at 2024 Housing Gap analysis show Davis County nearly 4000 units short.

So there's 4000 individuals or families, 4000 plus individuals or families that have no options.

They're just not out there.

Those conversations continued.

Concrete plans began to take shape.

What do we want to tackle and how can we make an impact together in a room?

What does that look like as a project?

Turns out there was a project to provide inspiration.

Habitat for Humanity of Owensboro.

Davis County was building ten homes called the Carter Court Community.

So we had that model to look at.

And then we began to look at what land was potentially available.

Owensboro Health had some open property on Parrish Avenue across from its cancer center.

It was a prime location.

17 parcels of land that could potentially mean space for up to 20 new homes.

It really was an asset that we could bring to the table.

This donation gave this affiliate here in Owensboro, Davis County, a land bank, which is unheard of.

The site is located on the city bus route and just steps away from the farmer's market.

We've got to start moving the needle.

We've got to start looking at different models.

So what can we bring to the table?

And it was those parcels.

For the city.

It was those federal grants.

It was a perfect fit.

Add the expertise and business model of habitat for humanity.

And the project was a go.

We don't give houses away.

We build houses and we give affordable loans to people to pay for their houses.

Those future homeowners also invest in sweat equity.

You actually have to help build houses for other people first.

They'll have somewhere in the range of 5 to 10 families that are ready to start building their houses.

They've built other people's houses.

Now it'll be time to build theirs.

The collaborative acknowledges it may not be a solution to the affordable housing crisis, but it does lay the foundation to make meaningful change.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Laura Rogers.