The Habitat For Humanity of Henderson and the city of Henderson have finalized a $1 million agreement intended to both eliminate blight in the inner city and build affordable housing.
The plan, which has been in the works for nearly a year, calls for both Habitat and the city to contribute $100,000 annually for the next five years with goals of acquiring blighted properties and then constructing new houses or businesses on those parcels.
Matt Reynolds, the local Habitat’s chief operating officer, said the deal will entail two different committees, one that acquires properties and one that sells properties.
The acquisition committee will be made up of two representatives from Habitat and one representative of the city, Reynolds said.
Many of the blighted properties that are acquired will then be demolished and readied for Habitat homes to be built upon.
But private companies can also buy the acquired properties if they have the intention of building a home or business there, said Reynolds, who added the company as part of its purchase agreement would need to have a structure built within a 4-year period.
As part of the Habitat-city deal, a second committee made up of two city employees and one Habitat representative would be in charge of selling properties to companies interested in building on them.
Henderson Mayor Brad Staton said the city historically budgets $50,000 for blight elimination, but now with the agreement, it can increase that by $50,000 more and be able to use $200,000 for the next five years to acquire properties, eliminate blight and ramp up affordable housing in the inner city.
Reynolds said that the Habitat board approved a plan to contribute $100,000 per year if matching funding could be obtained either from the city and county governments. He first pitched the idea of getting matching funds from the city and the Henderson County Fiscal Court.
The fiscal court was not as keen on the idea because there was nothing in the plan to help areas out in the county. Since then, Habitat returned to fiscal court and pitched plans for help to build homes out in the county. Reynolds said builds in Robards and Corydon are in the works.
It’s all a part of a Habitat work schedule that is ever increasing, building homes at a rate that Reynolds called “unprecedented.” By June 30, 2026, he said Habitat will close on or break ground on 15 new homes.
