COVINGTON, Ky. — The City of Covington and Neighborhood Investment Partners (NIP) celebrated the completion of the first phase of a workforce housing development in the City's Eastside neighborhood with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 10. The milestone marks an important step in the City's efforts to expand homeownership opportunities by making two newly constructed homes available to income-qualified households. 

"Every Covington family deserves the opportunity to own a home and put down roots in the community they love,” Mayor Ron Washington said. “These two homes represent our commitment to making homeownership more attainable for working families. We're building a stronger Covington brick by brick, house by house, block by block, and this is another important step forward." 

The two homes, located at 304 and 308 Pleasant St., each feature 1,560 square feet of living space, three bedrooms, and three bathrooms. They will be listed for $255,000 and marketed to households earning no more than 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 

Additionally, qualified buyers may be eligible for up to $25,000 in down payment assistance through the Northern Kentucky HOME Consortium Homebuyer Assistance Program, helping reduce one of the largest barriers to purchasing a home. 

Interested homebuyer assistance applicants can learn more and apply online here. 

The project is a partnership between the City of Covington and NIP, the City's nonprofit housing partner. For this first phase, the City donated three vacant, city-owned surplus lots to NIP. Rather than constructing three homes on the narrow, traditional shotgun-style lots, NIP consolidated the properties into two larger parcels. The redesigned layout allowed for off-street parking via a shared driveway. 

The homes were manufactured by Unibilt Industries at its state-of-the-art production facility and delivered to Pleasant Street, where they were placed on permanent foundations in August. 

Unlike manufactured homes, modular homes are constructed to meet the same building codes as traditional site-built homes. Once completed, they are virtually indistinguishable from conventional homes and offer comparable durability and quality. 

"By bringing together the City's resources and NIP's expertise as our nonprofit housing partner, we're demonstrating what's possible when organizations work together toward a shared vision,” Brandon Holmes, Executive Director of the City’s Community Development Department, said. “What's taking shape on Pleasant Street has the potential to serve as a model not just for Northern Kentucky, but for communities across the country looking for effective ways to develop high-quality, workforce housing." 

Looking ahead: 17 additional homes planned 

The Pleasant Street development project is envisioned as a three-phase effort that will ultimately bring 19 new homes to the Eastside neighborhood, creating additional opportunities for income-qualified households to put down roots in Covington. 

Phase 2 will include the construction of five additional homes, with work expected to begin in early 2027. The homes will introduce additional housing styles and floor plans to the development, including: 

• A duplex: Each side will offer approximately 1,178 square feet of living space, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. 
• A ranch-style home: The project's first ranch-style design will feature approximately 810 square feet, two bedrooms, and one bathroom. 
• Two additional homes: Completing the five-home second phase. 

Phase 3 will add 12 more homes, likely constructed in groups of attached townhomes. 

The project also reflects the ongoing collaboration with neighborhood partners to bring new investment and housing opportunities to the community. 

“We are excited about these great new opportunities in our community for homeownership as well as building generational wealth,” Melissa Kelley, Chair of the Eastside+ Neighborhood Association, said. “Eastside+ commends the City’s commitment to housing, and we're looking forward to the influx of new families and new friends.” 

Through partnerships with organizations like NIP and continued investment in neighborhoods throughout the City, Covington is working to expand its housing options and ensure that more residents have the opportunity to build a future in the community they call home.