Hal
Rogers
(R-Ky.)
of
the


U.S.
House
of
Representatives
announced
last
week
that
$3
million
has
been
allocated
from
the
federal
Consolidated
Appropriations
Act
of
2024
to
go
toward
the
construction
of
homes
for
victims
of
flooding
in
eastern

Kentucky
that
took
place
in
July
2022.

The
funding
will
be
issued
to
the

Housing
Development
Alliance
(HDA),
a
nonprofit
housing
organization
based
in
Hazard,
Kentucky,
which
is
situated
in
the
center
of
four
of
the
hardest-hit
counties
from
the
flooding.

According
to
a

report
that
assesses
the
impact
of
the
flooding,
published
by
the

National
Low
Income
Housing
Coalition
(NLIHC),
the
flooding
“exacerbated
affordable
housing
shortages
and
pre-existing
weaknesses
in
local
labor
markets”
and
“led
to
39
fatalities
and
federal
disaster
area
declarations
for
13
eastern
Kentucky
counties.”
As
many
as
8,950
homes
were
impacted
by
the
flooding,
which
disproportionately
impacted
low-income
residents.

“I
have
met
many
of
the
flood
survivors
who
lost
everything
they
had
nearly
two
years
ago,”
Rogers
said
in
a

statement.
“The
effort
to
build
new
affordable
homes
for
flood
survivors
has
been
met
with
labor
and
supply
shortages,
along
with
a
lack
of
developed
land
to
build
new
homes
on.”

HDA
will
“build
homes
to
be
sold
at
appraised
value
and
financed
for
home
buyers
through
forgivable
grants
and
loans,”
according
to
the
announcement.

“I
was
honored
to
secure
$3
million
to
help
the
Housing
Development
Alliance
build
homes
for
families
and
individuals
who
need
them
the
most,”
Rogers
stated.
“It
is
my
hope
that
these
new
affordable,
safe
homes
will
help
flood
survivors
move
forward
with
greater
peace
of
mind.”

The
HDA
lauded
the
development
and
thanked
Rogers
for
his
work
in
securing
the
funding.

“We
appreciate
Congressman
Rogers’
efforts
to
secure
this
funding
that
will
help
so
many
Eastern
Kentucky
families
get
into
energy
efficient,
high
quality,
and
long-lasting
homes
that
will
never
flood,”
HDA
executive
director
Scott
McReynolds
said
in
a
statement.

Rogers
also
secured
an
additional
$500,000
in
funding
that
will
allow
the

U.S.
Army
Corps
of
Engineers
“to
conduct
a
flood
mitigation
study
spanning
the
entire
Kentucky
River
and
its
watershed,
a
source
of
persistent
flooding
in
Eastern
Kentucky,”
according
to
an
announcement
by
his
office.

Recently,
housing
has
taken
on
more
discussion
in
Congress
and
at
the
White
House.
During
his
State
of
the
Union
address
last
month,
President
Joe
Biden

outlined
a
plan
that
his
administration
hopes
will
lead
to
more
affordable
homeownership
and
rental
costs
while
encouraging
the
construction
of
new
housing
supply.

Responses
to
the
proposals
by
Republicans,
who
hold
a
narrow
majority
in
the
House,

have
been
tepid.
Much
of
the
proposed
agenda
likely
hinges
on
the
outcome
of
the
November
general
election
in
which
both
chambers
of
Congress
and
the
White
House
are
up
for
grabs.

But
there
are
also
recent
indications
of
some

bipartisan
action
on
housing
at
the
state
and
federal
levels.
Lawmakers
from
both
parties
insist
that
housing
does
not
need
to
be
a
partisan
political
issue.

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