Welcome House, Inc. CEO Daney Amrine received the Lynn Luallen Innovation Award from the Kentucky Housing Corporation.
The statewide award honors an individual whose innovation is advancing and shaping the affordable housing landscape in Kentucky.
Amrine was chosen for her “dogged approach to ending homelessness across Kentucky.” The Kentucky Housing Corporation said that her “visionary leadership coupled with expert organizational capacity building” has, in four years, resulted in Welcome House moving from serving only Northern Kentucky to providing street outreach, permanent housing and holistic homeless solutions in six regions across the state representing 50-plus counties.
“It’s great to see Daney recognized for the amazing work she’s doing at Welcome House,” said Welcome House Board Chair Jason Spaulding. “I’m not sure people realize how much our organization’s footprint has grown over the past few years. It’s all about helping more people and ending homelessness in Kentucky.”
Over the past four years, Welcome House has nearly tripled its operating budget, received $1 million from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund, and secured $7.5 million in special HUD funding (66% of the entire state’s award) to address homelessness in rural communities. In 2021, Amrine was named the Outstanding Woman of Northern Kentucky by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, and Welcome House was named the Nonprofit of the Year.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Lynn Luallen Innovation Award,” said Amrine. “This recognition is a testament to the incredible work of the Welcome House team and our commitment to finding innovative solutions to end homelessness in Kentucky. Together, we will continue to push boundaries, forge new partnerships and create lasting change for our most vulnerable neighbors.”