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Region 6 asks Hardin County for $20,702 match; supervisors decline to commit without state clarity
Summary
A Region 6 Housing Trust Fund representative asked Hardin County supervisors for $20,702 in local match for FY 2026–27. Supervisors said they sympathize but will not commit funds until state policy and next year’s budget are clearer.
A representative of the Region 6 Housing Trust Fund on Tuesday asked the Hardin County Board of Supervisors for $20,702 in local match funding for fiscal year 2026–27, saying the program helps low-income homeowners with rehabilitation and maintenance.
The Region 6 representative (Speaker 5) told supervisors the program has delivered direct help in Hardin County over the past 15 years, including about "$281,000 worth of, primarily owner occupied housing rehab" and that, across the region since 2015, the trust fund has distributed roughly "$3,582,264." He said many applicants are at or below 80% of median income and several are at about 30% of median income — "which would be around $19,000 in the annual income." The representative said Region 6 can explore a revolving loan approach so repayment dollars could seed a county-level fund in the future.
Supervisor responses stressed the need for budget certainty before committing funds. Speaker 1 said the county is planning next year’s budget and noted the state’s shifting rules make commitments difficult: "the state tells us we can't spend money, we can't tax, and then they turn around and try to force us to tax so they can give us money." Several supervisors suggested the matter be deferred until the board has a clearer sense of state policy and levy limits.
Board members also encouraged the Region 6 representative to press state legislators directly. Speaker 3 asked the representative to contact state lawmakers including Josh Meggers and Annette Sweeney so legislators hear directly how the funding rules affect Hardin County residents.
No formal motion or vote was recorded on the Region 6 request. The supervisors suggested follow-up steps: Region 6 will pursue other match strategies (including a regional revolving loan approach), seek additional conversations with state legislators, and the board may revisit the request later once state guidance and county budget projections are clearer.
The request matters locally because the Region 6 program serves low-income homeowners — including elderly residents and households with children — who the representative said face difficulty maintaining owner-occupied housing without outside assistance. The board did not commit county funds at the meeting and left the item for future consideration.
