The History of HDA

Where we've been, where we are, and where we're going.

The idea that became the Housing Development Alliance began in the minds of a group of devout eastern Kentucky women on a mission to help their community. With the help of a grant, they started a local food bank and formed an organization called Hazard-Perry County Community Ministries.

As the organization grew, so did the number of programs. These amazing women found a way to fund a daycare program, a homeless shelter, and a Crisis Aid Program. In the 1990s, Gerry Roll was hired as the director of Hazard-Perry County Community Ministries, and she, along with Jennifer Weeber, the director of Community Programs at Community Ministries, discovered that housing issues were a leading cause of financial distress for mountain families seeking help from the Crisis Aid Program. The two women learned that HUD’s newly-created HOME Program had a Set-Aside Program for community-based groups, so they formed a board of directors and on September 8, 1993 the Housing Development Alliance (HDA) was born.

In 1994 Scott McReynolds was hired as HDA’s Executive Director, and since then, HDA has grown into a multi-faceted and highly respected nonprofit organization. Driven by a strong desire to improve our community, HDA has met the housing needs of over 2,900 people, while providing a much needed economic boost to the local economy.

Over our 29-year history, we have expanded our services from Hazard and Perry County to the underserved counties of Breathitt, Knott, and Leslie. In 2018, we built our first home in nearby Floyd County, and we are considering further expanding our service area to include that county.

In 2019, we added a new program called Hope Building, which provides paid, on-the-job training to men and women in recovery. Not only a workforce development program, Hope Building meets the affordable housing needs of middle-income families, who often fall just outside the income range for the housing help we offer. 

Currently, we are conducting our most ambitious plan to date: serving 1,000 families in the next 10 years!

Photos by Shawn Poynter/Poynter Photo Co.

Milestones & Achievements

Where We Serve

Explore the area we serve and why the need for housing is so great.

Scott McReynolds

Learn more about HDA's Executive Director Scott McReynolds.

HDA FAQs

Learn more from our answers to the questions we receive most.
Verified by MonsterInsights