HUD and Housing Authority of Bowling Green Partner in Providing New Hope and Home to Man in Need

HUD staff Tom Ryan and David Railey help Peter Seely load his belongings onto the moving truck.

Peter Seely looking forward to moving to his new home at the Housing Authority of Bowling Green.

It was a cloudy Wednesday when the HUD Kentucky Field Policy and Management (FPM) staff met Peter Seely at his storage facility. He had been living in his truck for nearly a month and was finally moving to a very nice 1-bedroom apartment at the Housing Authority of Bowling Green where he could stretch out and enjoy a full night's rest with peace of mind.

"I can't tell you how much this means to me," said Peter Seely. "I'm almost too overwhelmed to put it into words."

Peter had found himself the victim of credit fraud/identify theft that left him evicted and homeless. He had been living in his truck at a rest area in Shepherdsville, Kentucky for about two weeks. He then contacted a person at HUD Headquarters who conferenced him in to speak with the Kentucky Field Office Director and Senior Management Analyst. He would work with them for the next two weeks until they eventually found permanent housing for him.

They had searched the entire Jefferson County/Bullitt County area, but could find no vacancies in HUD-assisted units. Peter could not credit qualify for the privately-owned units that were affordable because of the credit fraud he had suffered.

"Don't give up Peter. We will find you a home," he was repeatedly told by HUD staff helping him. They then widened the search outside the area to the Housing Authority of Bowling Green (HABG) and Lexington. Then the call came from HABG Executive Director Abraham Williams, "We have a one-bedroom apartment that is available tomorrow." Peter got into his truck and drove down the next morning and met with Occupancy Specialist Shawn Sales to fill out his housing application and view his new apartment. Williams personally stopped by to meet Peter and facilitated calls between his staff and HUD to ensure that every detail was covered.

The local HUD staff met him on moving day to help load his belongings into his moving trailer and sent him off to start a new life in Bowling Green, Kentucky where the HABG staff was waiting to help move his belongings into his new home.

"We could not ask for a better partner than the one we have in Abraham Williams and the staff of the Housing Authority of Bowling Green," said HUD Kentucky Field Office Director Michael Browder. "They can always be counted on to go the extra mile and Mr. Seely could not be in a more supportive environment. I also want to recognize my caring team Tom Ryan, David Railey, and Debbie Knight who are the HUD staff who volunteered to help Mr. Seely load his belongings on moving day. The entire teamwork that came together made an incredible difference in this man's life."

The Housing Authority of Bowling Green was recently designated a HUD EnVision Center.

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