Housing Authority says proposed 75-unit development could fill immediately
If funded and constructed, Highland Heights would replace the former Barren County Health Department building with 75 affordable apartments for elderly households.
GLASGOW, Ky. — A proposed 75-unit senior housing development in Glasgow could be filled immediately if it is built, according to Glasgow Housing Authority Executive Director Sheri Lee.
Lee recently told the Barren County Fiscal Court that the Housing Authority already has enough applicants on its waiting lists to fill the proposed Highland Heights development at 318 W. Washington St.
“Our waiting list, just at the Housing Authority and what the Hero Foundation property that we currently own, could fill the 75-unit complex right now,” Lee said.
Lee later provided additional information to Barrenside showing 70 households on the Housing Authority’s public housing waiting lists are age 55 or older. That figure includes what the Housing Authority considers “near elderly” applicants.
The Housing Authority also has 90 households on its preference waiting list for its Housing Choice Voucher program and another 100 households on its non-preference list.
Some applicants have been waiting for years. Lee said some people on the one-bedroom public housing waiting list applied in 2024, which is currently the longest wait for public housing.
Highland Heights is proposed by Wabuck Housing Partners as a 75-unit affordable housing development primarily for elderly households.
April Bowman, a representative for Wabuck, told magistrates the apartments would be intended for people with a range of incomes who meet the project's eligibility requirements.
“These are gonna be people that you know, and probably living next door to right now,” Bowman said.
Brennan Crain
Project information says the development is intended to provide housing for income-qualified residents and address what the application describes as a shortage of affordable rental housing for low-income elderly households in Barren County.
The proposed development would include a three-story, elevator-served building with one-bedroom apartments, community gathering areas, management offices, resident amenities, landscaped outdoor spaces and parking.
Lee said the Housing Authority and its voucher program have enough people on their preference lists to fill the proposed development.
The Housing Authority gives preference to local residents, Lee said.
“At the time of application, we verify the place of residence when they do turn in the application, through photo IDs, and we do verify that what they say is where they live. We also look at rental history over the past five years, so that's part of the application process, as well,” Lee said.
Lee said applicants must also meet federal eligibility requirements.
The development would serve elderly and disabled residents, according to information presented to magistrates.
Not every resident would necessarily receive rental assistance. The project application says Highland Heights is expected to receive Section 8 Project-Based Vouchers administered by the Glasgow Housing Authority for eligible residents.
Lee said the Housing Authority currently oversees approximately 750 units and housing assistance opportunities.
That includes 367 public housing units, seven emergency housing vouchers and 343 Housing Choice Vouchers. However, the Housing Authority can only issue 310 of those Housing Choice Vouchers because of a lack of funding to cover the rent assistance needed in the area, she said.
The Housing Authority also provides 10 affordable housing units through the HERO Foundation, with eight more expected to be added, Lee said. The Housing Authority manages another 27 units for a private owner in Park City.
Lee said the demand for Housing Authority housing is driven in part by a shortage of available housing.
“We have a housing shortage that we are currently trying to make up for,” Lee said.
Brennan Crain
She also pointed to an aging population as another factor driving demand.
Many near-elderly and senior residents, Lee said, cannot or do not want to maintain their current homes. Some are looking for decent housing where they can live independently while having access to daily living services.
The proposed development would add to existing senior housing operated by the Housing Authority.
The Housing Authority operates Huntsman Manor, a 35-unit senior housing complex near the proposed Highland Heights site. Lee and Bowman also pointed to other senior housing properties operated in the Glasgow area.
Bowman said Wabuck has nearly 7,000 affordable housing units across Kentucky and that its properties are professionally managed, with on-site management and maintenance.
She also addressed concerns about the proposed development fitting into the character of the surrounding neighborhood.
Bowman said developers can use colors, materials and landscaping to help the building fit into the area.
The project is not yet under construction. Wabuck is seeking low-income housing tax credits through the Kentucky Housing Corporation, which uses a competitive scoring process to determine which projects receive funding.
Bowman said the competition for the credits is intense and that some communities seeking senior housing cannot move forward if their projects do not score high enough to receive funding.
The proposed project has an estimated total funding amount of $18.1 million.
If funded and constructed, Highland Heights would replace the former Barren County Health Department building with 75 affordable apartments for elderly households.
