Staff Report
The Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission will hold a ribbon-cutting on its Lincoln Grant Scholar House on April 5 from 3-5 p.m. There is already a waiting list for residents, proving the need for a facility of its kind.
The Lt. Governor has been invited to speak. Tours of the facility will be available.
The house provides affordable housing and supportive services for single parents seeking post-secondary education as full-time students. Residents must be a single parent of a child under 18, meeting the low-income housing requirements and be enrolled in college or be seeking to be enrolled. The house provides education for preschoolers and infants, counseling, academic advising, mentors, coaching, career services and more.
“Single parents face unique challenges when pursuing higher education,” said Dawn Fogarty, Vice President at NKY Community Action Commission. “The Scholar House offers affordable housing in an environment of continuous learning with like-minded peers.”
In December, the $9.9 million renovations at the Lincoln Grant Scholar House at 824 Greenup Street in Covington began wrapping up and families began moving in.
Moving in . . .volunteer help came in all sizes.
Currently, 41 families are living at NKCAC’s Lincoln Grant Scholar House. Four apartments remain open, awaiting final approval from Section 8. There are families waiting for them.
“The Lincoln Grant Scholar House is designed to end the cycle of poverty and empower families and youth to succeed in education and to achieve self-reliance,” says Fogarty. “Our residents are low-income and have experienced homelessness or unstable housing situations which has been a stumbling block in pursuing their dreams of being a college graduate.”
NKCAC continues to accept families for pre-residential services, but no housing will be available for those families at this time.
NKCAC is hosting orientation sessions for families interested in becoming a future Lincoln Grant Scholar House resident. Scheduled sessions are: March 31 at 10 a.m.; April 12th at 4 p.m.; and April 28 at 10 a.m. All sessions are held at Lincoln Grant Scholar House (824 Greenup Street Covington).
The new residents are diverse in age, ethnicity and background. Approximately 34% of residents are African American; 33% Caucasian; 2% Asian/Pacific; and 17% bi-racial.
Beechwood School Tigers Cares recently delivered infant care products to the house.
All residents are enrolled in higher education programs. They attend Gateway, NKU, Mount Saint Joe, God’s Bible College, Cincinnati State, Liberty University, and Indiana Tech.
NKCAC’s recent furniture drive was a huge success, meeting the families’ furniture needs. NKCAC is focusing on general funding needs for house hold items and “starter kits” to help families deal with their new home — and on naming opportunities for bigger funding.
See this list of needs:
Cash contributions help purchase these items as well as go towards washer and dryer units, which is the biggest need. NKCAC is still pursuing grants for washers and dryers. There are naming opportunities within the Scholar House.
Community members are also invited to visit the Scholar House on April 11th from 6:45 – 8:15 p.m. when the NKY Forum holds an event titled “Poverty and Our Children”. Terry Brooks will be the featured speaker and NKCAC’s Florence Tandy will be a panelist.
Opportunities for naming opportunities are below.
