Habitat for Humanity Owensboro-Daviess County on Tuesday celebrated the grand opening of Ms. Virginia’s Education and Training Center, which aims to educate people who have never owned property on homeownership.
The unique facility is named in honor of former Habitat Executive Director Virginia Braswell. Current Executive Director Jeremy Stephens said it’s the first of its kind in the United States.
The center has various amenities designed to support Habitat’s Homeownership Program through workshops and classes.
“We were honored to have the support and commitment from IMPACT100 Owensboro when we approached them with the vision for this facility,” Stephens said. “This facility, this house, will be a living classroom that will allow Habitat to fulfill its mission in our community on a much larger scale.”
Stephens emphasized that homeownership is the key to building generational wealth.
“This facility will give our applicants the ability to get hands-on experience on managing homeownership before moving in their own house, providing opportunities for further success in the future,” Stephens said.
The project was made possible through a significant grant from IMPACT 100 Owensboro in 2022 and contributions from over 50 local businesses, organizations, churches, and individuals. Several local businesses in the building industry contributed to the construction of the training center, located at 2900 West 4th Street.
Dr. David Danhauer, Habitat board chair, expressed gratitude for the community’s support and stressed the importance of resources in creating equitable opportunities.
Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, attendees escaped the heat to tour the facility.
Habitat also launched a year-long calendar of workshops on its website, beginning with a session on city codes and neighborhood alliances. Most workshops will be open to the public, but space is limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information, visit HabitatOwensboro.org.
