The rebuilding continues after devastating floods ravage more than a dozen counties in eastern Kentucky last July.

It was a year ago this week that flooding in that region impacted nearly 9000 homes.

Ivy Brashear is a native Perry County and who's reported on the floods aftermath for the Institute for Rural Journalism.

I talked with her earlier today about the state form created to bridge the gap for homeowners needing help with repairs or even rebuilding.

Ivy Brashear, thank you so very much for a few moments of your time.

We appreciate it.

We are at they are approaching the anniversary or the one year mark of those devastating floods there.

And you have written a piece for the I we just call it the institute that talks about how one year later, organizations can now start applying to get some of those state funds that the Kentucky General Assembly had approved.

And many would say, why has it taken so long?

Yeah, I think, you know, a lot of people are concerned about that, about how long it's taken and are ready to get back into stable housing.

But, you know, this process just takes a long time.

It takes a long time to figure out how to spend these dollars and how to get them out to the housing organizations that will then use them to build those homes and get people back into housing.

They had to the Kentucky Housing Corporation had to start an advisory committee to accept those applications and decide which ones they would approve.

And that just takes take some time.

Yeah.

And so some would ask of this money goes to organizations who are part of the rebuilding process, not to individual homeowners, correct?

Yes, that's correct.

So the process will be the housing organizations will apply for these funds.

It's on a tiered system based on the kinds of repairs or new construction that's going to happen.

That advisory board will take those applications and decide whether or not they'll approve that.

And then that money will be disbursed to those housing organizations.

So how much money is up for the taking here?

So there is $10 million total in the fund.

In the rural Housing Trust fund, the money that can be applied for is anywhere from up to $60,000 for home repairs on structures that don't need to be demolished up to 140,000 that can be used to demo a structure and rebuild a new house on a home on land that the homeowner owns.

So when we think about I've seen some of the situations where people may not be able to afford their own home made for the repairs.

I mean, we talk about and we have talked about how those situations have been pretty bleak for people.

140,000 may seem like a lot of money, but it really may not be enough to either repair or start over again.

So this is just to fill the gap.

Right.

Not to completely make someone whole.

Yes.

The intention of the Rural Housing Trust Fund really is to fill that gap or to be a bridge toward more federal dollars.

So federal buyouts that are happening through FEMA and through the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, which applications are still open for that until August 18?

And that money, those buyouts will be a significant amount that will help homeowners to be able to cover the rest of that amount that they'll need.

But and the Rural Housing Trust Fund, again, is just a bridge to sort of help it there.

But those federal dollars could even be even longer coming right off the application process if that's in August.

And we think about all the steps that have to happen after that.

Is there a projected timeline about when the dispersal of those funds could happen?

So I was told the dispersal of those funds could take up to nine months.

That's not a guarantee.

You know, it could change a shift and change a bit.

But, you know, it is a long time.

But, you know, I just remind folks that government moves slow and getting this money out is a slow process.

I think everyone that I've spoken to about these buyouts and even about the Rural Housing Trust fund are just grateful that something is being done as fast as it is and that this money will be coming, that it's promised to this region and it's expected to come here within the next year.

So they're just really grateful for the promise of this money to come in.

Yes.

This region has a special place in your heart.

Tell our viewers why.

Yes, it definitely does.

I'm from Barbour in Perry County, one of the counties that was really hard hit in the flood last year.

My family's been there a really long time for five generations.

And, you know, my roots are really deep in this region.

It means a lot to me.

It's been my entire career and will continue to be my career as I study media in Appalachia in my Ph.D. program at UK.

Well, we wish you the absolute best.

Thanks for all your great work with the Institute, and we look forward to calling you Dr. Ivey Brashear very soon.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much, Renee.