After deadly destructive floods in eastern Kentucky in recent years, more Kentuckians are moving to safer areas.

It's part of the state's higher ground community program.

Yesterday, Governor Andy Beshear described new efforts and not county and other places.

We just awarded $7.5 million for a contract to, for a project to extend an access road and develop additional neighborhood streets at the Chestnut Ridge property in North County.

Our plans are for Chestnut Ridge to eventually have over 175 homes, just on the state's portion.

This contract means we're one step closer to that reality.

These new roads are expected to be completed late next year.

Already in the western part of Chestnut Ridge, sewer and water line work are complete.

Paving and sidewalk work should be complete this October.

That means we're one step closer to making our new Kentucky homes stronger and our families safer.

We're fulfilling that commitment that we made three years ago to help Eastern Kentucky rebuild and recover with all eight of our high ground sites combined.

We're looking at over 500 new affordable homes in eastern Kentucky.

They're out of the floodplain and home to Kentuckians that have been through so much.

Last month, we broke ground on the first three homes at new Hope Estates in Floyd County.

That will eventually be the site for 34 homes.

This year we celebrated the completion of the Thompson Branch High Ground community.

That's ten homes in Letcher County.

We also framed the first homes in Skyview in Perry County.

That neighborhood will have at least 100 homes.

And of course, we finished the Wayland project with over a dozen homes for those that have been displaced.

The governor also said the state was converting an old medical building into apartments in Jackson, using $6 million in disaster recovery funds.