Above: Representatives of various organizations from the Appalachian region of the United States gathered in Asheville, NC for the public release event to announce ARC’s 2024 INSPIRE grant recipients.
HDA Receives $500,000 from ARC’s INSPIRE Initiative
“Building Hope Beyond Recovery” is part of a nearly $11.5 million award package and will provide workforce training to men and women in substance use recovery to help address the substance use disorder crisis in Eastern Kentucky.
HAZARD, Ky. — Housing Development Alliance, Inc. (HDA) has been awarded a $500,000 grant by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to fund its “Building Hope Beyond Recovery” project, which will provide workforce training in residential construction to men and women in substance use recovery as HDA works to rebuild the region after the 2022 flood.
The award is part of a recently announced nearly $11.5 million package through ARC’s Investments Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Initiative, which addresses the region’s substance use disorder (SUD) crisis with investments that strengthen services in the recovery ecosystem and helps facilitate workforce entry and re-entry.
“I commend HDA and its Hope Building program for their work in Appalachian Kentucky supporting the recovery ecosystem, which is integral to bringing our INSPIRE projects to life,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “HDA is a great asset in our efforts to address the region’s substance use disorder crisis, and I look forward to seeing how they will help build a strong recovery ecosystem and a stronger workforce for the opportunities of tomorrow.”
Over the last 5 years, HDA’s Hope Building program has provided a key support structure for men and women in recovery who are attempting to build back their lives. The program offers paid on-the-job training in carpentry and construction, while also requiring trainees to attend college classes, pursue long-term employment in the community, and continue their respective recovery programs.
Most of the program’s trainees are referred to HDA by Hickory Hill Recovery Center, Knott County Drug Court, and Perry County Drug Recovery Court. To date, nearly 75 percent of Hope Building trainees have gone on to secure full-time employment and/or college certificates.
She continued, “The funding we receive from ARC’s INSPIRE Initiative for our project will provide hands-on construction training that will produce new homes to help replace those lost in the 2022 flood. The men and women trained as part of this project will have the skills, education, and experience needed to join the workforce and help our region recover.”
Over the next 18 months, Gabbard said the grant will fund on-the-job training of 12 men and women in SUD recovery. Those trainees will assist their trainers, who are both experienced carpenters at HDA, in the construction of 9 new energy efficient homes, which will be built for flood survivors and low-income individuals and families in Breathitt, Knott, and Perry counties.
That’s the unique opportunity offered by the “Building Hope Beyond Recovery” project – men and women in recovery helping a region recover from a natural disaster.
Since INSPIRE was established in April 2021, ARC has invested $53.6 million in 166 projects across 360 Appalachian counties. The nearly $11.5 million package for Fiscal Year 2024 is projected to improve 851 businesses and prepare 6,445 individuals for new opportunities in the workforce.
ARC is expecting to issue a request for proposals for the next round of INSPIRE grant opportunities in early 2025. Additional information and resources are available at www.arc.gov/SUD
About Housing Development Alliance, Inc.
Serving Breathitt, Knott, Leslie, and Perry counties, the Housing Development Alliance (HDA) is a 31-year-old nonprofit affordable housing developer that serves as lender, counselor, developer, and contractor for low-income persons in need of housing assistance. We work with multiple organizations within the federal, state, and local governments, as well as in the private sector, to help individuals break down barriers to access the resources they need to build financial stability through affordable housing. For more information, visit www.hdahome.org
About the Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the Region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.
