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Franklin housing authority outlines expansion plans, Dixon Grove homes to open applications Dec. 1
Summary
Jolie Brown, director of Franklin Housing Authority and Franklin Affordable Housing, told the commission the authority manages multiple programs — 10 HUD-subsidized units, an 18-unit nonprofit portfolio, a 56-unit tax-credit property — and that four Dixon Grove homes are under construction with applications to open Dec. 1; a pending CDBG grant could add six more homes.
Jolie Brown, director of the Franklin Housing Authority and Franklin Affordable Housing, gave the City Commission a detailed update on the city’s affordable-housing portfolio and a new development called Dixon Grove.
Brown said the housing authority operates 10 HUD-subsidized, income-based rental units in which tenants typically pay 30% of their income; the authority also uses flat maximum rents tied to 80% of HUD fair-market rent. She said waiting lists vary by unit size: two- to four-bedroom waits run about three to nine months, while one-bedroom/efficiency waits start near a year.
The city’s nonprofit arm, Franklin Affordable Housing, manages 18 units spread across the city that the authority prioritizes for residents who have shown success in the housing program and are preparing for greater self-sufficiency, Brown said.
Brown said the city acquired Joshua Place and Kelsey Manor in July; those properties total 56 tax-credit units and operate under rules that differ from the housing authority’s HUD program. She said the properties accept Section 8 vouchers but do not issue them — vouchers are issued through the Kentucky Housing Corporation — and that the managerial focus since acquisition has been to complete backlog maintenance and upgrade units as tenants turn over.
On Dixon Grove, Brown said four homes are under construction — a one-bedroom, a two-bedroom accessible unit and two three-bedroom homes — with the first four units expected to be completed around January. “Dixon Grove ... would not be possible without your all support,” Brown told commissioners, and she said the authority will begin accepting applications for those units on Dec. 1. Brown added that if a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application submitted on the authority’s behalf is successful, the project could include six additional homes.
Brown also described nonhousing supports: full-time security at authority properties and a van service intended to reduce transportation barriers for residents traveling to grocery stores, pharmacies and medical appointments. She listed recent capital upgrades including additional parking, replaced water heaters and HVAC units, and refreshed playground areas.
Commissioners praised the housing authority’s work and noted partnership efforts with senior services. Brown thanked the commission for its ongoing support and said the projects were intended to increase housing stability and create pathways toward eventual homeownership for residents.
Next steps: applications for the first Dixon Grove units open Dec. 1; completion of the initial four homes is expected around January; CDBG grant results (which could fund six additional homes) were discussed as pending.
