Success Stories

HDA’s Hope Building Program acts as a bridge between men and women leading lives in substance use recovery and finding gainful, meaningful employment in the community. Over 70% of our program’s trainees have gone on to be hired full-time or have completed college programs! Their jobs in the community range from construction work to maintenance and peer support.

We want to see our trainees working locally in a wide array of jobs that give them an opportunity to earn a living wage, fulfill their life’s goals and ambitions, and provide for themselves and their families. At the same time, they will be making our entire region stronger by adding skilled labor to its workforce, and more importantly, they will have a much greater chance of remaining in recovery. 

Hope Building trainees are doing so much more than improving their own lives – they are building new, affordable homes for our local workforce. These upper low-income and middle-income individuals & families fall just outside the HUD income limits for our income-based Homeownership Program. The homes our trainees build give these families an affordable alternative to the high cost of new homes and rentals in Eastern Kentucky, where most for-profit builders won’t build middle-income housing due to homes selling for much less than the cost of construction. 

Our Impact

See how our trainees’ recovery journeys have been impacted by this unique program made possible by a POWER grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

Lindsey's Story

Lindsey King is the first Hope Building trainee to complete a full year’s training and receive all 4 college certificates! She is now employed full-time by the Housing Development Alliance as the Assistant Trainer in our Hope Building Program! Check out the video to see more of Lindsey’s inspiring story and find out what the program has brought to her life.

Kevin's Story

Kevin Meadows came to HDA as a trainee in our Hope Building Program, but we were so impressed with his skills and overall development as a carpenter that we hired him full-time to work on our Home Repair Crew! Hear from Kevin himself about his journey of hope.

Terrell's Story

Terrell shares his recovery journey and his feelings about the Hope Building Program at HDA. After training, Terrell returned to his hometown of Ashland in East Kentucky, where he now works as an Outreach Peer Support Specialist at Pathways, Inc.

David's Story

David’s account of his time in our program provides an intimate view of the trainee experience. After completing his training, David went on to secure full-time employment in Knott County. Read more about David's life and work in his own words.

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