KCEOC showcases energy-efficient homes in Corbin Tuesday

Toni Brassfield celebrates home ownership Tuesday with KCEOC officials at a special ceremony.

Corbin has two more proud homeowners thanks to a joint effort by KCEOC, Ky. Housing Corporation, Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati.

After 35 years of apartment living, 66-year-old Corbin native Toni Brassfield will be moving into a brand new home.

The three-bedroom home is a product of a partnership between the Kentucky Communities Economic Opportunity Council, which is working to build a subdivision of accessible, energy-efficient homes in Knox County.

“I have lived in a one-bedroom apartment so this is like a mansion to me,” Brassfield said after cutting the ribbon to dedicate her new home Tuesday morning. “It is a dream come true.”

Paul Dole, president and CEO of KCEOC, said the two new homes are the latest in what will eventually be 59 such homes in the subdivision located off of Moore Hill Ave.

Dianne Rucker, who was not able to attend the ribbon cutting, will be moving into the home across the street. 

Michael Swafford, vice-president of KCEOC, said through a combination of programs, residents who may not otherwise be able to afford to buy a home are able to do so.

Among those programs is a down payment assistance grant from Ky. Housing Corp and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati.

The Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises, Inc. has grant money to put toward the mortgage in a forgiveness program, which reduces the mortgage as long as the homeowner remains in the house.

“The homeowner could turn around and sell the home, but would have to repay the forgivable grant portion of the mortgage as well,” Swafford explained.

In addition to making the cost of the home affordable, KCEOC has worked with the builder to make the monthly bills as affordable as possible by making it as energy efficient as possible.

Swafford said that includes bamboo flooring throughout, energy start light bulbs and appliances and a conditioned crawl space that remains the same temperature as the rest of the house.

“You will never have a cold floor in the morning,” Swafford said.

The home also has all electric heat, an electric heat pump and thicker walls and insulation. As a result, the electric bill for the home is around $80 per month and the water bill is about $20.

“Those upgrades increased the cost of the house by about $10,000,” Swafford said, noting they will pay for themselves in about 10 years.

Swafford said KCEOC takes applications from individuals to determine if they are financially ready for home ownership.

Those who are not may undergo credit counseling in an effort to get them in a good financial position.

Once an individual is financially ready, their name is added to a waiting list, which Swafford said has about 25 names on it.

Brassfield said it was about a year ago that she learned she had made the list and has been waiting for a home to become available.

“I had given up but when they called me, I got all excited again,” Brassfield said.

Construction on her home has taken about three months. Brassfield has done her part, as she was required to put in 25 hours of “sweat equity” into the construction.

Explaining that she has never painted or done any type of handiwork, Brassfield said she spent her time cleaning, sweeping floors and washing windows.

In addition, she has been adding her own touches, picking out the yellow exterior color and the black granite countertops in the kitchen.

“It is just bright and sunny,” Brassfield said when asked why she picked yellow.

Brassfield has some more waiting to do as the paperwork is being finalized on her home loan. It will likely be sometime in November when she is able to move in.

“I just want to thank everybody for their hard work,” Brassfield said.