“The neighborhood has changed a lot,” says Trincella Bonnet, a resident. “There’s more pride for the community. I’m very excited about the future of McComb-Veazey.”

Partnering with residents 

For decades, Lafayette Habitat has partnered with families to build affordable places to call home. In 2011, the affiliate began partnering closely with the McComb-Veazey Neighborhood Coterie, a resident-led planning body that formed in 2006 to create neighborhood revitalization plans.

“Residents in the coterie had been encouraged to dream big,” says Melinda Taylor, Lafayette Habitat’s executive director. “But some of them had become discouraged because there weren’t resources to implement the neighborhood plan. We were able to come in as a partner, listen to their needs and ask, ‘How can we be a part of getting you to where you want to be?’”

In 2018, when Lafayette Habitat began participating in a five-year project to evaluate Habitat’s approaches to neighborhood revitalization, the affiliate was able to connect the coterie to resources that would help them implement their neighborhood plan. 

Identifying needs and investing in projects 

Residents identified building a central community gathering space as a top priority. Lafayette Habitat worked with the coterie to design and renovate a formerly adjudicated property owned by the Lafayette Consolidated Government. The affiliate manages and maintains the Community House, a one-room space that hosts coterie meetings, local events, trainings and more. 

Additionally, Lafayette Habitat and the resident-led coterie — together with local partners and the city government — have: 

• Built more than 40 affordable homes and acquired dozens of additional blighted properties for redevelopment.
• Converted a former tire shop and filling station adjacent to the Community House into an open-air pavilion for events. 
• Launched a youth entrepreneurship academy where 11- to 17-year-olds learn to develop, refine and pitch their business ideas.
• Advocated successfully for the development of a pocket park, giving neighborhood kids a safe place to play. 

“This community has been asked what they wanted for years, and nothing materialized,” says Tina Shelvin Bingham, a coterie leader and Lafayette Habitat’s community development director. “Habitat and other funders were able to bring resources into the community and help us sell the vision of what could happen.”

Residents are energized by the physical changes in the neighborhood and are participating more in community gatherings. A survey found that 76% of McComb-Veazey residents engaged in at least one community meeting or event over the last five years.

Shaping the future of McComb-Veazey

Residents like Trincella are playing a critical role in shaping the future of their neighborhood. They have big dreams for their community and are using their collective voice to continue to advocate for the changes they want to see.

“Since I’ve been a part of the coterie, they have helped strengthen my voice,” says Trincella. “At one time, I was scared to speak. But now I feel more confident in speaking up for the rights of the community and for what their needs are. They know my voice.”

Team Depot volunteers helped him build his new Habitat Pennyrile home. Now Jerry has a Habitat home on the same land where his old home once stood. “My experience with Habitat and all the volunteers was great,” Jerry says. “They were easy to work with and kept me informed on how things were coming along. I feel blessed in so many ways!”

Jamie Robinson-Melcher, a store manager for The Home Depot and a Team Depot captain, remembers meeting future Habitat homeowners and their families while volunteering with Habitat Bowling Green/Warren County. 

“Knowing that we were making an impact on the lives of a person that we can meet and we could see,” Jamie continues, “And seeing the excitement that they had knowing they were going to have a place to call home once those builds were completed was absolutely impactful.”

Responding together when the need arises

By working alongside families affected by disaster, Habitat and The Home Depot Foundation have helped advance housing affordability during a time when it’s needed the most. Since 2021, The Home Depot Foundation has provided nearly US$2 million to support Habitat’s efforts to help families impacted by disasters. The Foundation has also funded Habitat’s Repair Corps program since 2012 to help build, repair or rehabilitate more than 1,800 homes in partnership with U.S. military veterans and their families. During the builds in Bowling Green and Dawson Springs, The Home Depot Foundation helped support construction costs and capacity building.

“The notable aspect of The Home Depot Foundation funding was the inclusion of capacity funds, which proved invaluable in situations where there was a sudden need for additional personnel, trucks and equipment to construct numerous houses,” Heath says. “Their assistance in that regard is not something we typically encounter in our regular funding sources.”

“Having that funding from The Home Depot Foundation kind of helped us bridge a gap,” Rodney agrees. “Everybody wants to fund houses. But it takes people to make that happen.”