9.2.2025 | #Stella4KY
Kentucky families deserve homes. Where I come from, we have people living in homes that are barely standing. The homes have holes in the walls, on the floors, and barely any insulation to keep them safe during strong weather conditions. Fortunately, we live in a nation that takes care of those who are in need- or so I thought…
The White House just released a budget proposal that cuts the HOME Investment Partnerships Program. This is the largest federal block grant for affordable housing, and since the 1990s it has helped create and preserve more than 1.3 million homes nationwide. Over half a million of those were built in rural and small-town communities like ours.
For Kentucky, this is not an abstract policy fight in Washington. It is a kitchen-table issue.
In Boone, Carroll, and Franklin counties, housing shortages are already severe. One out of every five families who need a home cannot find one they can afford. Even in Owen, Gallatin, and Kenton counties, families depend on regional housing programs and development districts to fill the gap. Without HOME, those lifelines will disappear.
Affordable housing is about more than bricks and mortar. It is about keeping young families here instead of watching them move away. It is about making sure seniors can stay in their hometowns with dignity. It is about giving working parents a fair shot at homeownership instead of being locked into skyrocketing rents.
Housing leaders are already sounding the alarm. One told the Associated Press, “Maybe they don’t realize how far-reaching these programs are.” That is the truth. HOME is a quiet program with a massive impact. (Source)
Kentucky cannot afford to lose this support. Eliminating HOME funding would push our communities backward at a time when we need every tool to strengthen rural and small-town life.
It is time to raise our voices and remind lawmakers: strong communities start with strong homes.
TLDR: The federal budget proposal cuts the HOME program, which has built over 1.3 million affordable homes nationwide. If it’s eliminated, rural Kentucky counties like Boone, Carroll, Franklin, Owen, Gallatin, and Kenton will lose critical funding for housing, making it even harder for families, seniors, and workers to find a place to call home.
Stella for KY 