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The venture fund and real estate startup both have ties to far-right organizations and support housing developments in rural Kentucky as a haven for like-minded people.
The project, marketed as a “linked community”, aims to provide an escape from the wider social climate and spearhead the region’s recovery, the Guardian reported.
The push is part of a broader trend among the far right to establish geographic enclaves, reminiscent of movements such as “American Redoubt,” the outlet said.
But Kentucky’s Highland Rim Project raises questions about the financial dynamics behind this ideological enclave. Critics argue that while buyers may pay a premium to live in remote communities, organizers stand to make large profits with minimal land improvements.
The development announcement was made on the social media platform .
Details of the community’s governance were vague, with Abotoy saying “most of the leadership will be led by Protestant Christians,” the Guardian reported.
This vision includes pursuing local political influence and expanding to other states.
Experts have suggested that this may be a capital-driven land speculation project with a cultural and ideological angle, rather than a genuine attempt to create a utopian community. Concerns have been raised about potential discrimination in land sales based on political views, raising questions about litmus tests and compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws.
New Founding, known for its opposition to diversity, equity, inclusion, environmental, social, and governance initiatives, features HRP prominently on its website. His LLC, Kentucky Ridge Runner, associated with Abotoy Inc., owns the majority of the land for sale and plays a central role in HRP.
The advertised development offers lots of different sizes and at different price points.
The development, located on a 550-acre farm, has 17 lots of about 3.5 acres each, costing about $40,000, while four other lots, ranging from 90 to 125 acres, cost about $40,000 each, according to the Guardian. It’s said to be 10,000 dollars.
Another site offers 0.5 to 0.75 acres of land for sale from $35,000 to $60,000.
Supporters have hailed the move as a “safe haven” for the far right, while critics have questioned the motives behind the project.
“It’s not just that some members of this extremist group disagree with liberals, feminists, or a bunch of other people who don’t share their views. It’s not just that they really don’t like having those people around them. It’s just intolerable,” Catherine Stewart, author of “The Power Worshippers,” a book about Christian nationalism, told the Guardian. “The mere presence of people who don’t look like us is considered an insult.”
— Ted Glanser
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