FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Krista Buckel
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Honoring First-Time Homeowner Latequa Kinney
FULTON, KY. (October 18, 2024) – Community Ventures (CV), in partnership with the City of Hickman, Fulton County, and the Fulton-Hickman Counties Economic Development Partnership, today celebrated the revitalization of the first CV-financed home in Hickman in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The home is a dream come true for first-time homeowner and long-time Hickman resident, Latequa Kinney, and it preserves and improves existing housing in Hickman.
“Owning a home has become increasingly difficult in today’s economy, and we hope to help Kentuckians like Ms. Kinney to achieve her dream of homeownership,” said Brenda Weaver CV’s President of Lending and Western Kentucky Disaster Recovery. “We are so thankful to each of our partners who support the creation of affordable housing for residents in Western Kentucky. None of this work would be possible without your support.”
The newly revitalized home creates one more affordable home for residents and helps meet the ongoing housing demand in Fulton County.
According to the 2024 KY Housing Supply Gap Analysis by KHC, Kentucky needs 206,207 new homes to meet the housing demand of residents. Since 2023 these partners have been working to create housing solutions for Fulton County.
Latequa Kinney, the new homeowner, shared her excitement about purchasing her first home. “I’ve lived in an apartment for 11 years and I never thought I could own my home,” said Ms. Kinney. “Having a yard where my three kids can run around and a place we can call our own means a lot. I would like to encourage anyone who wants to own their own home but doesn’t think it is possible to contact Tammy Nesler at Community Ventures. Working with her has been amazing and I am so thankful she helped to make this possible.”
The project was funded by the Rural Housing Trust Fund (RHTF), which is administered by the Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC).
Kentucky faces a critical shortage of housing units, and this puts homeownership out of reach for too many prospective homebuyers,” said Wendy Smit Deputy Executive Director, Housing for Kentucky Housing Corporation. “KHC is thrilled to see Community Ventures utilize the Rural Housing Trust Fund to build this home—and to see Ms. Kinney purchase it.”
In June 2023, the partners broke ground on the first new home to be built in the City of Fulton in the last sixteen years, and completed it four months later. In April 2024, the agencies and organizations teamed up to build two new homes using SIP technology and celebrated the completion of another new home for a first-time homeowner in May. In August 2024, these partners celebrated the completion of two SIP homes.
These efforts are part of CV’s larger goal of helping the region recover from the devastating tornadoes that struck Western Kentucky in December 2021.
To learn how to become a homeowner through non-profit Community Ventures, contact Tammy Nessler by calling 270-705-4150 or emailing tammy.nesler@cvky.org.
To learn more about homeownership opportunities in Western Kentucky, visit https://cvky.org/housing-in-western-kentucky/.
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About Community Ventures: Founded in 1982 as a community-based, non-profit organization, Community Ventures (CV) strengthens communities and improves the overall quality of life for Kentuckians by supporting job creation, small business ownership, and home ownership. CV is headquartered in Lexington with branch locations in Bowling Green, Campbellsville, Louisville, Mayfield, Millersburg, and Owensboro. For 21 consecutive years, CV has been named Microlender of the Year by the Kentucky Small Business Administration.