2001 Annual Report Executive Summary
Knox County Champion
Community
The continued support for building a regional health and wellness center (Goal #2) would be considered the greatest accomplishment this year. The City of Barbourville purchased four acres for $250,000, with the option of purchasing an additional four acres. The Kentucky Department of Highways committed $200,00 for street widening and sidewalk improvement/construction leading to the site. There is also a $500,000 set-a-side in the Federal Health and Human Services 2002 budget for site development planning that was obtained in December of 2001. The Small Business Development Center in Middlesboro conducted three entrepreneurial training classes at the Agency in the past year. A total of 27 people attended the classes, of which there has not been any follow-up activities to determine the usefulness of the classes. Cumberland Valley Regional Housing Authority obtained 53 units of rental assistance vouchers from Housing and Urban Development worth $206,700 in 2001. While this was 47 units less than Goal #4 stated, it did provide much needed help providing low-income residents of Knox County safe and stable housing options. In addition to the 53 rental units, one unit of new housing was built with a combination of loans and grants from the Kentucky Housing Authority and USDA Rural Development. A building in downtown Barbourville has been purchased to house a "one stop shop" center for human services. Financing was secured through a local bank. An application to USDA for permanent financing and renovation is currently being completed. The finished project will also provide 6 units of transitional housing for homeless families (Goal # 6). A $17,500 grant was received from the Economic Development Administration to conduct a feasibility study on the Kentucky Crafts Village Expansion Project (Goal #7). Results of the study are expected in the Spring of 2002.