The Housing Development Alliance serves four counties in southeastern Kentucky: Breathitt, Knott, Leslie, and Perry. These counties are located in the heart of Central Appalachia and have been designated as “distressed” by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and “persistent poverty counties” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). HDA’s service area reflects a long-term commitment to communities where private housing markets alone have not met local need.
This creates a structural housing challenge:
Rental rates are often too low to support quality development.
New homes frequently cost more to build than they will appraise for.
Many properties are valued below $50,000, limiting financing options for repair and reinvestment.
This appraisal gap – often ranging from $10,000 to $35,000 per home – makes new construction financially unfeasible without subsidy or public-private partnership.
Recent flood disasters in 2022 and 2025 have further reduced safe housing supply and intensified existing shortages.
Housing markets are local. So are housing solutions.
HDA focuses its work within this defined service area to ensure:
Deep community relationships
Responsible long-term stewardship
Strong partnerships with local governments
Durable impact across the region
By concentrating our efforts, we are able to build and preserve housing that strengthens families, local economies, and community stability.
