YouthBuild Louisville students renovate historic, 120-year-old home

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A group of at-risk youth are restoring a Louisville home that's more than 12 decades old, an assignment that could also help them restore their futures.

The students are part of YouthBuild Louisville, a program that provides education and job training. It assists young people — most of whom have gotten off track — in meeting significant life goals.

One of them is Mazziah Young, 19, who recently lost her father and several others close to her.

"It was through gun violence," she said.

And she lost a lot of her motivation.

"I was stuck in a place, and it wasn't really good," Young said.

But joining YouthBuild Louisville changed her attitude and perhaps future. Right now, she's part of the crew renovating the 120-year-old home on East Breckinridge Street in historic Smoketown.

Andrew Shields, a construction trainer with YouthBuild Louisville, said they're gutting the house, putting up new walls and a new floor. Grants from the Department of Labor and Affordable Housing Trust Fund are covering the cost of program management and renovation.

"There are some natural necessities that people take for granted, and you wouldn't imagine these young kids or young adults will be going through like hunger, homelessness, depression," said Demarcus Keene, construction manager for YouthBuild Louisville, construction manager.

Shields and Keene are the construction bosses and said the house will provide job training for some students and a home for others.

"They've been through stuff in their life that they can't get over," Keene said. "Because they are kids, it's hard to even imagine how to begin."

Both Keene and Shields are also graduates of YouthBuild and believe the house will eliminate more than one barrier facing students.

"These are kids are going through some tough, tough times," Shields said. "The only thing that I can say to them is to just keep coming. You have to want it as bad as you want to breathe."

Although Young already has a home, she said the current assignment brought back her motivation.

"It makes me proud," she said. "To give back to people who actually need help, it warms my heart a little bit."

The renovation work is scheduled to be finished in early 2022.