Volunteers took part in a three-day build to help expand access to affordable housing in Jefferson Co.
(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) – Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company continued their longstanding partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Metro Louisville by helping ‘Raise the Roof’ on their 16th Habitat home in the Santa Fe Crossing development.
Santa Fe Crossing is a joint effort by Habitat Louisville and the Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana to build 40 affordable housing units in the Pleasure Ridge Park neighborhood. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide affordable housing for 40 families in southwestern Jefferson County in the South-Central Dixie area by 2028.
Employees of LG&E and KU and the utilities’ partners working on the construction of Mill Creek 5, the utilities’ new 640-megawatt natural gas combined-cycle generating unit, took part in the three-day build beginning on March 5, with the homebuyer driving the first nail of their new home, and ending March 7 with a Ground Blessing Ceremony.
“We are thrilled to be a part of this effort to help expand affordable housing in the communities we’re proud to serve,” said Jeff Heun, director of major project development for LG&E and KU and a Habitat Louisville board member. “We know the sense of security and peace owning a home can bring to a family, and we are proud our employees were able to play a part in helping bring that for this family.”
LG&E and KU employees were joined on the build by volunteers from Mill Creek 5 project partners—GE Vernova, TIC-The Industrial Company, and Vogt Power International Inc., a Babcock Power Inc. subsidiary.
“Vogt Power International is honored to support Habitat for Humanity’s mission of fostering stronger, more resilient communities in Louisville, Kentucky,” said Chris Turner, President and CEO of Vogt Power International. “We are thrilled to collaborate with the MC5 project team on this impactful initiative, working together to help families realize their dreams of homeownership and create a lasting foundation for future generations.”
About Habitat for Humanity of Metro Louisville
Since its founding in 1985, Habitat Louisville has built or rehabbed over 638 homes in Jefferson and Oldham County. Through volunteer labor and the donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabs safe, affordable homes for people who make between 30%-80% of the area's median income.
All homebuyer families are required to invest 400 hours of sweat equity in their home and in financial and homebuyer education classes. The homebuyers purchase the homes at an affordable, interest-free mortgage. The homeowners’ mortgage payments are then reinvested to build more Habitat homes.
“At Habitat, we're community builders. We build houses so people can build homes. When people have homes, they build their lives. When lives are built, families are grown, and when families are grown, communities flourish,” said Ja’mel Armstrong, Homebuyer Engagement Manager for Habitat Louisville.
Meet the future homeowner
Jessica was born in Lexington but grew up in the Pleasure Ridge Park area. She is a graduate of Pleasure Ridge Park High School. For the last eight years, Jessica has worked as a Medicare Grievance Specialist at Humana. She is a proud mother of four children.
To Jessica, she said home means relaxation, comfortability, and safety. She is nervous but excited to have a cozy and loving place of her own to bond with her children.
A longtime partnership between LG&E and KU and Habitat for Humanity
LG&E and KU have been longtime partners of Habitat Louisville since 2004, contributing more than $692,00 to date through the LG&E and KU Foundation.
In 2019, LG&E and KU partnered with Kentucky Habitat for Humanity to create a new program that uses locally produced solar from the utilities’ Solar Share program to benefit habitat clients across the Commonwealth. The program allows solar share bill credits to be transferred to selected families to help offset as much as 30% of their monthly energy use. The first Habitat family selected to participate in the program was from Louisville’s Portland Neighborhood.
###
Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve more than 1.3 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 335,000 natural gas and 436,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. KU serves 545,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and 28,000 in five counties in Virginia. More information is available at www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com.
Video - LG&E and KU, partners help 'Raise the Roof' for Habitat for Humanity
