Lexington unveils new affordable housing apartment complex

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Jane Singleton and Shirley Ivey have lived on Maywick View Lane in Lexington for more than sixty years combined.

They said the buildings across the street were always an eyesore.

“They weren’t kept up. There were homeless people staying in the back and all that,” Singleton said.

After the City of Lexington and Bluegrass Rental Management were able to revamp the buildings for the city’s affordable housing project, Singleton and Ivey said they had created a safer and more visually pleasing place to live.

“I’ve lived here 47 years, and it is wonderful to see what they’ve done to these buildings,” Ivey said. “It has really done a lot for our neighborhood here.”

Wednesday marked the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the buildings.

Lexington Commissioner of Housing Advocacy and Community Development, Charlie Lanter, said the 16 units are already filled.

“We’re always looking for opportunities to work with partners like these here today to identify these properties, put some financing into them, and to get them back into service because when we have an affordable housing crisis, it just doesn’t make any sense to have vacant buildings,” Lanter said.

Lanter added that the group’s work is not done yet. They estimate that 800 more affordable housing options are in the works this year.

“This is one example of dozens of projects that we have in the works to create more units, both new and remodeling existing units to make sure that they’re back in service,” Lanter said.

Each of the units on Maywick View Lane rents for $700 a month.

Eligibility for affordable housing is based on the average income within the area. This means that the tenants’ rent cannot be higher than 30 percent of their monthly income.

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