UK’s Housing Engagement and Research Initiative launches statewide resource hub online
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 10, 2025) — Advancing on the regional and statewide challenge addressing housing needs in the Commonwealth, the University of Kentucky Office of Land-Grant Engagement has launched the Housing Engagement and Research Initiative (HERI) website.
In partnership with Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK) at the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and Land-grant Engagement, the new website is a centralized hub for Kentucky housing resources and data — providing state and national housing toolkits, policy recommendations, housing usability studies and more.
HERI’s goal is to be a one-stop-shop in providing valuable Kentucky housing resources, data and services that can be used to help meet some of the state’s housing challenges.
A nationally regarded expert in housing issues and community development Alison Davis, CEDIK executive director and Center for Economic Analysis of Rural Health director at Martin-Gatton CAFE, leads HERI.
Since HERI was first announced during UK’s Board of Trustees meeting as part of Project Accelerate — advancing and addressing significant issues in the state by growing and building university partnerships with governments, communities and nonprofits — Davis has been working with experts across campus as well as local governments to research issues such as housing affordability, demographic trends and neighborhood development.
“Kentucky has a unique opportunity to capitalize on the future growth of housing needs, but the strategies must be research-informed, collaborative and regional,” Davis said. “Through establishing these partnerships and collaboration, they will help HERI in providing valuable resources and data to support local governments, developers and communities in creating strategies to impact their housing supply, access and affordability.”
Some of HERI’s resources and services include:
- Housing in Kentucky publication series which examines housing issues in Kentucky. A publication titled 2025 Overview of Housing in Kentucky was recently released
- County housing data profiles which provides additional data and interactive mapping points for all 120 counties in Kentucky
- Housing demand study to help communities address and develop a plan regarding their housing needs
- Kentucky city and housing studies showcasing several housing studies that have been done in communities across Kentucky
- Kentucky housing resources which includes updated statewide data sources, toolkits and reports along with national housing resources
“We encourage our Kentucky communities that might be interested in a housing study, creating a housing plan or better understanding how land use policies impact the provision of services to engage with HERI,” Davis said. “These are important tools in creating strategies to better address Kentucky’s local housing needs and create more vibrant communities.”
To learn more about HERI visit https://heri.uky.edu.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.