Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati comes to Covington with The Pope Leo Village campaign

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati, thanks to the generous donation of an anonymous donor, is building in Northern Kentucky for the first time in six years. Their chosen sites are located in the Botany Hills neighborhood of Covington. The construction of these nine new homes, is rooted in faith with the campaign donning the name, “The Pope Leo Village Campaign.”

“An anonymous donor came forward who was very inspired by Pope Leo’s commitment to serving others and decided to give a generous gift to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati,” said Sarah Reynolds, marketing and communication officer for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati.

Ron Washington, mayor of Covington, said, “The Pope Leo Village Campaign in Botany Hills will not only provide nine families with safe and affordable homes, but will also strengthen the fabric of our neighborhoods.”

With homelessness on the rise in Kenton County, increasing steadily over the past three years — from 167 persons in 2023 to 234 persons in 2025 according to the Kentucky Housing Corporation’s annual K-Count. Rates of homelessness are also significantly higher than those of neighboring Northern Kentucky counties — 67 and 39 persons in 2025 for Boone and Campbell Counties, respectively. These nine Habitat for Humanity homes will mean new beginnings for the families who purchase them.

Ms. Reynolds spoke to one of the intended residents, “for her, this home means stability,” she said. “Now that she is building and buying a home with Habitat, she feels like this will give her and her three children the stability that they’ll need to have a better life.”

The nine homes being built will stand on infill plots of land, where once historic homes stood. Each house will be slightly different to accommodate the land; however, each will have at least three bedrooms. Two of the homes will be joined together to form a duplex, while the other seven will be stand-alone homes with either one or two stories depending on the plot of land.

“We decided to build homes in Covington, even though we didn’t have funding for them, because we know that there’s such a need for affordable housing in the community,” said Ms. Reynolds, “We took a leap of faith and started building and then this anonymous donor came forward to help cover some of those costs .. .it was answered prayers.”

Despite not being a Catholic organization, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati is rooted in Christian faith. Beginning as a grassroots effort, they relied on churches for support. Thirty years later, many of those churches still contribute to their mission.

“We have a huge faith involvement to begin with, and so, when we share about the Pope Leo Village with those groups, they’re just really excited,” Ms. Reynolds said.

It is the community involvement, Ms. Reynolds said, that sets this initiative apart from the rest. “We’ve seen a lot of excitement, we have seen lots of people wanting to come and volunteer, wanting to learn more, and calling, reaching out to us in that way … the outpouring of support from the community … is really inspiring,” she said.

Mr. Washington shared the sentiment of inspiring community support.

“After seeing Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati’s impact during last year’s Rock the Block event, it’s inspiring to now see the first new Habitat homes built in Northern Kentucky in six years — and right here in Covington. This project reflects the power of collaboration and community, and we are proud to support it,” he said.

Construction on the nine homes will be completed in 2026 with two already being near completion. Once the homes have been constructed, they will stand tall as a reminder of God’s providential love and Pope Leo’s commitment to serving others; giving nine families newfound stability.