Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission

HUD-Rural Housing and Economic Development

Grant Summary

Project Area: 

Adams, Jackson, Pike, and Vinton Counties (Map)

Summary: (Click for more information)

The Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission (OVRDC) was awarded a HUD Rural Housing and Economic Development Capacity Building Grant (Grant #RH-05-OH-C-0082) in December 2005. 

A brief overview of the project consists of utilizing GPS to plot fire stations and response areas for fire departments serving the four counties.  Mileage intervals will be determined from each fire station to determine the “protected” and “unprotected” class areas.  Insurance companies consider housing units beyond five or six miles from a fire department as "unprotected” class and homeowner’s insurance premiums for these housing units can be expensive. The number of housing units in the “protected” and “unprotected” class areas will also be determined, and an analysis of the “protected” class areas will be completed to determine the best areas for housing development.

Work Plan:

1. Form an advisory committee in each county and have each of them to meet at least three times to provide input into project activities.
2. Utilizing GPS, map fire stations in target counties and fire stations in adjacent counties that service areas in the target counties.
3. Determine the service areas geographically for each of these fire stations and map their service area.
4. Determine mileage intervals from these fire stations to determine the number of housing units that are in a “protected class” and “unprotected class”.
5. Conduct an infrastructure and natural feature analysis of the “protected class” areas to determine the best areas for housing development in each county.
6. Present the results of each county study in its respective county in order to educate key decision makers.

Project Counties: (click on each county to see more)

Pike County

Vinton County

Adams County

Jackson County