HUD Kiosk to Benefit Upper Kanawha Valley Community

Ben Newhouse, Executive Director of the UKVEC, speaking at Kiosk ceremony

On December 11, 2003, the Charleston HUD office along with Representative Shelley Moore Capito unveiled its newest kiosk in the Upper Kanawha Valley Enterprise Community Business Center in Chelyan, West Virginia.

Many local businesspersons along with local Mayors and Councilmen attended the event. Ben Newhouse, Executive Director of the UKVEC, and Damron Bradshaw, Mayor of Chesapeake and a UKVEC Board Member, spoke at the ceremony.

The UKVEC is in the old Chelyan Elementary School, which has been renovated for use as a business and community center. It also serves as a facility for organizations and residents. The UKVEC Business Center is home to about nine small, start-up companies and is a stop for potential homebuyers and/or business owners.

The Center assists with playground equipment/renovations, water treatment projects, summer youth programs, literacy and after-school programs. The UKVEC created a new computer lab for area residents where basic computer classes will be taught, and support a meal program for area residents. To find out more about the UKVEC, please visit their website (http://www.ukvec.org/).

The touch-screen kiosk will provide basic information to the residents of this area about HUD's programs and services. The kiosk will let citizens find HUD homes for sale, along with rental assistance, and homelessness information.