About
HONK'S MISSION IS TO
create housing opportunities and guide families and individuals on the path to homeownership
HONK is a faith-based, nonprofit organization with 30+ years of success in guiding families and individuals on the path to homeownership. Our opportunities are created by rehabbing homes and building new ones. Volunteer labor and donations help to keep HONK homes affordable. HONK counsels households one-on-one to prepare them for homeownership even after they finish the lease-to-own program.
HONK's vision
Housing location is the primary mechanism for accessing opportunity in our society. Housing location determines the quality of schools that children attend, the quality of public services received, access to employment and transportation, exposure to health risks, access to health care, and more. For those living in high poverty neighborhoods, these factors can significantly inhibit life outcomes.
Homeownership is proven to build wealth, strengthen communities, and promote both educational and employment achievement in areas where housing opportunities are available.
Over the past 30 years, HONK has witnessed firsthand the lasting impact that homeownership can make on individuals, families, and communities. Affordable housing does more than just put a roof over someone’s head, it changes lives and strengthens the neighborhoods we live in.
Our History
Led by Fr. Jack Goeke and John Binzer, a group of socially conscious individuals joined together in the basement of St. Agnes Church on December 18, 1991 to discuss concrete ways of helping lower-income working families break the cycle of dependency, gain control over their housing options, and improve their quality of life. This core group recognized that far too many lower-income working people were stuck on an economic treadmill, dependent on others for rental housing that was often unsafe and in very poor condition. Homes that were safe and livable came with high rents and no means to build equity.
This core group surveyed the limited resources they had. They recruited additional volunteers and began to develop a plan to acquire, renovate, and build homes. They recognized that there would be a significant learning curve in helping families transition from renting into owning. A lease-to-own model with budgeting, credit and homeownership counseling was selected to ease families into homeownership. These early meetings led to the official incorporation of Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky (HONK) in 1992.
HONK was first based in Newport with storage and workshop facilities scattered throughout Northern Kentucky. Our early successes led us in 1995 to consolidate our office, storage and workshops into our current location at 502 Fry Street in the Mainstrasse neighborhood of Covington.
