HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The Hopkinsville City Council was presented with two municipal orders related to Legacy Hopkinsville programs during the Jan. 6 meeting. Proposed upgrades to the Rental Rehabilitation Incentive Program and the Housing Empowerment Plan would permit the city to continue providing funding to residents to encourage restoring and building residential properties within the inner city.

The Rental Rehabilitation Incentives Program was created in 2012, with upwards of 50 projects approved since it was established. The program provides financial assistance in the form of reimbursements to bring rental properties up to code. The program is intended to eliminate barriers to safe and sanitary housing as well as stimulate improved housing options for the community.

Modifications to the program to demolish, rebuild

Modifications to the rental program that were recommended include incorporating funding up to $8,000 for the demolition of unsafe structures, essentially creating a reconstruction element. Once a demolition is done, the applicant would have nine months to build a new construction on the property while also having the opportunity to apply for new construction incentives.

Holly Boggess with Legacy Hopkinsville stated during a presentation to the council that providing this additional element for demolition would serve as proactive approach to encourage developers to remove unsafe structures while also guaranteeing new rentals. This would also serve as a cost saving measure for the city, who would not be on the hook for demolition due to code violations.

“We want to make it as effective as possible but also provide incentives to continue to improve our downtown area,” Councilmember Amy Craig said during the meeting, who also served on the committee that was discussing potential improvements to Legacy programs. “When we see those before and after pictures it’s evident that this is a big deal. One house at a time we start really seeing a difference.”

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Housing Empowerment Plan changes

The second municipal order was for modifications to the Housing Empowerment Plan Program, which preserves existing housing stock within Legacy Hopkinsville neighborhoods by providing incentives and funding to create suitable living environments for residents.

This program specifically provides support for single family, homeowner occupied structures with exterior code violations, while the previous program is centered around rentals. Boggess proposed the city eliminates the 25% of the PVA value funding limit that is currently in place and instead cap the amount per property at $15,000.

Other changes include requiring insurance for all property owners as well as a five-year mortgage for projects funded at over $6,000 and allowing up to $10,000 in additional funding to address all exterior code violation. She also proposed establishing a 10-year blackout period per property when it comes to applying for funding.

There is currently around $60,000 allocated to this Legacy program as of December 2025. Mayor Knight said that more money will probably have to be designated in the future.

Council proposes expanding programs

“Public funds should have public access,” said Councilmember Clayton Sumner. He went on to add that there should not be geographic boundaries within Legacy, suggesting that they change how applications are evaluated and open it up to renters and property owners in the entire city.

Boggess shared that expanding the program could potentially result in running out of funding quickly. Councilmember Craig added that in terms of expanding, they would have to create a separate program due to the program’s focus on downtown and the inner city. It was revealed that the existing guidelines for participating neighborhoods are based on census data from 2005 that evaluated the quality and age of the housing stock along with the income levels that were within those boundaries

The council approved the proposed modifications for both of the programs via municipal order. Mayor J.R. Knight suggested conducting surveys with the residents and re-evaluating census data. Craig added that the committee is still actively meeting and discussing future changes, and more is expected to come in the future.

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