Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky (HONK) will host an open house Thursday, Aug. 8, from 4-6 p.m., at The Legacy House, a single-family home at 219 Dell Street in Elsmere.
The house celebrates the work of HONK founder Father John “Jack” Goeke, who will be in attendance. The event is open to the public.
A program at 4:30 p.m. will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony and feature speakers Elsmere Mayor Marty Lenhof, Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky (BIA) Executive Vice President Brian Miller, and HONK Executive Director David Hastings.
Fr. Goeke founded HONK in 1991 to address the growing need for good quality affordable homes in the inner city and to create a path for people with limited incomes to own these homes. Under Fr. Goeke’s leadership, HONK developed an innovative lease-to-own program that sets aside a portion of the monthly lease payment to reduce the cost of purchasing the home.
The construction of The Legacy House was supported by the City of Elsmere, the R.C. Durr Foundation, BB&T, Macy’s and BIA, among many others. More than 60 local businesses and dozens of individuals provided support, with more than $50,000 in donated or deeply discounted materials and services.
“This is our third housing project with HONK and I’m humbled that the City of Elsmere will be home to HONK’s Legacy House,” said Mayor Lenhof. “I believe homeownership creates a foundation in which so many opportunities can come from to improve so many lives. This project is truly a home run.”
Construction on the house began June 14, 2018 with a “Blitz Build,” with volunteer labor provided by many BIA member companies. The home was framed and under roof by the end of the two-day event.
From the beginning, HONK has worked closely with the community to reduce the cost of the completed houses, gaining the support of churches, schools and organizations who have provided volunteer labor, and local businesses that donated or discounted building materials.
“The Legacy House exemplifies what volunteerism is all about,” said Steve Lutkenhoff, HONK’s Construction Manager, who worked alongside Fr. Goeke during the early days of the organization. “Building this house in tribute to Fr. Goeke has been an incredible journey, with outstanding collaboration. HONK is truly blessed with amazing community support.”
The Legacy House is the 35th new home built by the non-profit organization. In addition, HONK has completed 88 rehabs since acquiring its first property in Covington in September 1992. Fr. Goeke retired in 2004.
Parking for the event will be available at Elsmere Baptist Church, 250 Garvey Ave.
More information on HONK is available at www.honkhomes.org.
Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky
