Housing Development Alliance

HAPPY NEW YEAR from the Housing Development Alliance

So far winter, and a few weeks before, has proven to be bitterly cold and snowy here in
Kentucky. The upcoming week is due to be wet and in the 50s, and believe me that is a
A welcome change from the teens and single digits we have been experiencing.

We are a little behind on our blogs or rather I am a little behind on the blog. We will blame it on the weather. But the truth is there is so much to share I just haven’t known where to begin. The month of November was a very exciting time for the Housing Development Alliance. During the first of the two weeks we had a very special House Raising take place. In the first of what we hope will become an annual event, teens from the Hazard Independent School System and teens from the Perry County School System joined forces to dry in a house new house for a local family.

The job took 2 consecutive Saturdays to complete. The first work day was bitterly cold with temperatures in the 20’s .The kids endured chilling rains, sleet and the first snow of the season, but by the end of the day the walls were up and the framing portion of the job was complete. The next Saturday the kids once again began their work on a very cold morning which led to a blistering hot day. The work consisted of roofing and shingling, and the volunteers spent the day on the roof of the house in the hot sun of an 80 degree day. What can I say, that’s Kentucky weather for you!!

The students participating represented Perry County Central High School’s JR. ROTC and Hazard High School’s National Honor Society. They were a wonderful bunch of kids to work with and regardless of the weather conditions there was never a complaint or a lack of enthusiasm for the job. These teens knew they were working to help their community and to help make a family’s dreams come true. I for one am very proud to have these young people in my home town. You can check out our Facebook photos section for pictures of the event.

On November the 19th, the Housing Development Alliance also saw the groundbreaking of our new Center for Affordable Housing. This new building will house the offices of the Housing Development Alliance, taking us out of our current cramped situation and providing a more comfortable atmosphere for our clients. Our new building site is located in the Wabaco section of Hazard. We are directly across from the Mother Goose. For those of our former volunteers who took time to photograph the Goose House we will be located directly across the street. How fun to be able to see the giant goose every day!!
Construction is moving along and the footers have been poured. We can’t wait for the building to be completed. Pictures of this event can also be found in our photo section of the Facebook page

In the meantime we are in our same location and business is as usual. Our carpenters are busy working on home repairs and when the weather permits working at new house sites.
I am personally excited about the upcoming seasons and the return of our volunteer work force. Who knew I would ever miss those blistering hot days of summer. I guess that’s what a little ice and snow will do for you!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and the New Year holds joy and laughter for all! And for those who may currently be enjoying a more tropical vacation….ALOHA!

Janie
Volunteer and Community Coordinator