JACKSON, KY – Gov. Andy Beshear announced the development of 35 new housing units in Breathitt County on March 7, acknowledging the efforts of Frontier Housing and the Housing Development Alliance for helping flood survivors have stable housing at an affordable price.
Frontier’s new development, River North Apartments, will be located at 1389 KY 15 in Jackson. The vacant building will be converted into an 18-unit multi-family apartment complex, consisting of 9 one-bedroom units and 9 two-bedroom units, with preference going to residents impacted by flooding disasters in Breathitt County.
The city of Jackson is partnering with Frontier Housing on this project. The property purchase and renovation will be financed by a $6.2 million Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) award. The project also includes the building of a new sewer line to accommodate the 18 units.
“Today, we celebrated a major step toward providing more safe and affordable housing here in Jackson,” said Jackson Mayor Laura Thomas. “These apartments, combined with new homes being built in town, are making sure our people can stay here and keep their families here. We have been through a lot these past four years, and we will keep working to recover from these floods and build toward the bright future we all want.”
Frontier President & CEO Tom Manning-Beavin thanked Mayor Thomas for trusting Frontier to grasp her vision of what the building could be. Frontier recently began providing home repair services in Breathitt County, and Thomas encouraged Frontier to consider providing other services as well. Manning-Beavin explained that back in 2023 Thomas “pointed out to me that home repair is nice, but a lot of the community’s housing just floated down the river. I took her point and replied that the home repair contract gave us a reason to be present in Breathitt County, so that we help in whatever way we could.”
This led to a partnership with Citizen’s Bank and Trust, owner of the building, and the Kentucky Department for Local Government (DLG). DLG manages CDBG-DR funds on behalf of the state.
Manning-Beavin also thanked Pam Johnson, Fahe’s Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Programs, and her team. Fahe is a network of community development organizations across central Appalachia. Fahe staff wrote the CDBG-DR application and led the discussions with the staff at the DLG.
Frontier Director of Rental and Multifamily Stephanie Cooley will lead the renovation and the lease-up of these units. Other partners include Paul Nesbitt and his team at Nesbitt Engineering, and Jace Burris, who did the architectural work.
Frontier’s goal is to keep rents as low as possible, so that flood survivors will have stable housing at an affordable price and can focus their energies on their families and their future. Rents will be around $500 per month and Frontier will accept tenants with rental assistance vouchers.
Also on Friday, Gov. Beshear announced a separate housing development off KY 30 West in Jackson as Kentucky’s eighth high-ground community. Plans call for 17 new homes, with room for more in the future. Construction is set to begin this fall.
The site is being developed by the Housing Development Alliance of Hazard, in partnership with Fahe, the City of Jackson, the Breathitt County Judge-Executive’s Office, and the state DLG.
“I made a promise to be there for the people of Eastern Kentucky until every structure, home and life is rebuilt,” said Gov. Beshear. “That’s a promise I’m going to keep, regardless of the challenges we face. Jackson has been through the very worst, and they deserve the very best.”
Frontier Housing is based in Morehead and serves 22 counties.
##
Frontier Housing is the leader for affordable housing solutions in Appalachian communities in the heart of the Ohio River Valley. Frontier improves the quality of life for individuals and families, helping them achieve long-term stability, financial independence, and generational wealth. Learn more at frontierky.org
