Home » $1 million investment to open ‘Opportunity House’ for young adults in NKY

$1 million investment to open ‘Opportunity House’ for young adults in NKY

NEWPORT, Ky.  — A $1 million award was given to help open the Highland Heights Opportunity House in Campbell County.

The Governor awarded the $1 million Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to the City of Highland Heights, which applied for the grant in partnership with Brighton Properties, Inc. (BPI). BPI will lease an office space that has been vacant for 15 years, known as the Brown Building, and renovate it to create 16 affordable apartments in the new Opportunity House for low-income Kentuckia

The basement of the Opportunity House will provide training and meeting space for comprehensive social services and counseling for residents. Residents must participate in life skills training and secure part-time employment.

Lt. Gov. Coleman said there are more than 5,000 Kentuckians age 18-24 in Campbell, Boone and Kenton counties who are both unemployed and not in school.

Without support systems like the Opportunity House, these youth often struggle financially and emotionally into adulthood, especially if they turned 18 in foster care and were never adopted. According to recent statistics provided by the National Youth in Transition Data Base, at age 19, 44% of youth that aged out of foster care were receiving public assistance; by age 21, the number grew to 59%.

In addition to leasing the Opportunity House, BPI, a 501(c)(3) affiliate of Brighton Center, will operate, manage and ensure the facility. The CDBG will be provided by the City of Highland Heights to BPI in the form of a 20-year forgivable deferred loan, with 5% forgiven each year the Opportunity House is in operation.

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