Being the informed citizens that Rotarian tend to be, it is likely no surprise to our membership that America has an affordable housing crisis. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), there is a national shortage of over seven million affordable homes for more than 10.8 million extremely low-income families. Why does this matter? Again according to the NLIHC, housing is “the key to reducing intergenerational poverty and increasing economic mobility.”
Today’s presenter, Ed Holmes, will make it clear that Lexington/Fayette County is not immune from this crisis. As you will hear, we have a housing gap of over 22,549 units! He will dig into the extent of the problem and a “path forward.”
Holmes is a certified planner with more than forty-five years of experience in sustainable redevelopment, master planning, environmental justice, and land-use planning. As founder and president of EHI Consultants, established in 2001, he has led major planning and redevelopment initiatives across Kentucky and the southeastern United States. His work focuses on neighborhood revitalization, farmland preservation, and equitable community development. Under Mr. Holmes’ leadership, EHI has received recognition from the Kentucky Chapter of the American Planning Association (KAPA), the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and the Kentucky Small Business Development Agency, which honored the firm with its 2011 Pacesetter Award. In 2017, EHI was selected for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. He received the KAPA Bill Bowdy Award for Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Planning in 2018.
Selected Planning Projects of his include:
- LFUCG Neighborhood Small Area Plans (East End, Winburn, Armstrong Mill) – Lexington, KY
- African American Downtown Interpretive Signage Project – Lexington, KY
- Thelonious Monk Multi‑Use Trail – Rocky Mount, NC
- Southend/Davis Park Urban Village Plan – Lexington, KY
- West Side Neighborhood Plan – Paris, KY
- Red River Neighborhood Plan – Clarksville, TN
Public Leadership
- Cabinet Secretary, Kentucky Public Protection & Regulation Cabinet (1993–1997)
- Vice Chair, Kentucky Public Service Commission (1997–2001)
Ed has served on a variety of boards including the LFUCG Planning Commission, Campbellsville University Board of Trustees, Fifth Third Bank Advisory Board, Lexington Industrial Foundation, and the Lexington Civic Center Board.
Ed is a Lexington resident and received his B.A. in Urban Planning and Design from the University of Cincinnati.