“When you have safe and affordable housing, it changes your whole outlook on life,” says Rob Dowden, Executive Director of Kentucky Mountain Housing Development Corporation in southeastern Kentucky.
Kentucky Mountain Housing has been building and repairing homes in Kentucky’s Clay and Jackson counties since 1972. And Rob has witnessed firsthand how stable housing can create dignity and opportunity. His organization has helped a woman move from a shed without running water into a safe apartment and expanded affordable options for families who otherwise would not have the chance to own a home. He’s seen this work not only strengthen individual families, but entire communities. “It all starts with that house,” Rob says.