Changing Lives One House at a Time!!!!!

How it was all pieced together

In 1993 Mayor Beach of Beattyville obtained grant writer, Will Linder from Berea, Kentucky to write a Community Development Block Grant. The grant was approved for $750,000 and property was purchased in 1995. That was when Beattyville Housing & Development Corporation (BHDC) was organized.

Beattyville Housing has been assisting potential home buyers by helping obtain the most affordable financing for the families and also by offering credit counseling when they need it. Beattyville Housing works closely with Rural Development and Kentucky Housing Corporation in order to obtain affordable house payments for qualified families.

In September 2000, Beattyville Housing & Development Corporation became an official Kentucky non-profit member of the Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises (FAHE). This was a big step for Beattyville Housing and continues to be a very good decision for the agency. FAHE provides consultation, grant and loan funds, and technical assistance to Beattyville Housing & Development Corporation.

Accomplishments To Date

To date Beattyville Housing and Development, using local contractors has constructed 78 new homes in Lee and Owsley Counties. Several additional units are in varied stages of construction. Also BHDC has assisted over 100 families for homeowner rehabilation projects in Lee, Owsley, and Wolfe counties.

Awards and Honors

In 1999 The City of Beattyville was one of the 4 winners of the Enterprise City Award. Sponsored by the Kentucky League of Cities (KLC) and The Lane Report. The City of Beattyville was presented this award because of its development with Crystal Creek Subdivision.

Wilma Kelley-Executive Director of Beattyville Housing was awarded the 2007 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award for a not-for-profit entity. The award, along with similar ones for start-up businesses, and small business in Eastern and Southern Kentucky, was sponsored by the Center for Rural Development, the Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation and Eastern Kentucky University's College of Business and Technology.