We all want a roof over our heads and warm place to curl up for the holidays | Opinion

The holiday season is a time for enjoying family, food, and flashing Christmas lights. Families often find themselves asking big questions like who’s hosting dinner on which day, do we make a ham or a turkey, and whose house do we go to on Christmas Day. There might even be debate about how much to spend on presents this year or how much to decorate.

There is one foundational element to all of these questions, and that is having a place – a home – in which to spend time with family, cook and eat good food, and decorate. Having a home is incredibly important to family. Our homes, in addition to keeping us warm and the rain/snow off our heads, provide sanctuary and security; it contributes to our sense of community and belonging, and it’s a place to build and grow our families, lifelong memories and if we’re lucky the bonus of a good nest egg.

Thousands of our fellow Kentuckians lost their homes to the devastating tornado in the West and the historic flooding in the East, and ever since, USDA Rural Development has been working with the Commonwealth and our many non-profit partners to help them come home.

The unfortunate truth is that there was an affordable housing crisis before either of those natural disasters, and that crisis has only been exacerbated. There are pockets of light in the darkness though. Look at the multiple higher ground projects in East Kentucky made possible by Gov. Beshear’s leadership in conjunction with resources from philanthropists, non-profit organizations, and state and federal governments. In Fulton County in West Kentucky, it brought me so much joy to hear about the completion of Ruby Burton’s new home made possible by Community Ventures. With the exception of one Habitat for Humanity home, this is the first new home constructed in Fulton in the last 15 years, and I know Community Ventures has more planned for the area.

During this holiday season, we want every Kentuckian celebrating the season and not worrying about having a home in which to celebrate. That may be a lofty goal, but we’re steadfastly committed to working with the Commonwealth and our non-profit partners in addressing the affordable housing crisis.

Dr. Tom Carew is State Director of USDA Rural Development Kentucky.