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'Really changing people's lives': Baldwin County gets federal grant to help rehabilitate homes

Damien Francis says the county applied for the CHIP grant that works to provide safe and affordable housing in Georgia, with an emphasis on fixing what's there.

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Eight lucky folks on the south side of Milledgeville will soon have their homes rehabbed with the help of a $400,000 federal grant Baldwin County received.

13WMAZ’s Jessica Cha went out there to see one home getting a facelift and spoke to the recipient about how it’s helping. 

"A third of the houses were severely blighted,” Damien Francis, an Assistant Professor of Public Health at Georgia College & State University, says. 

Francis says the college had already had a record of working with the community and assessing what its needs were. He says the county asked for their help locating where homes in poor condition were in September of last year.

Francis says through their study of a few neighborhoods south of Vinson Highway– including Oconee Heights and Harrisburg– over half had moderately blighted homes, and a third had severe blight.  

"They had either foundation damage, they had roof damage, they had abandoned vehicles on the property. You know, some of these properties were still being occupied,” explains. 

Francis says the county applied for the Community Home Investment Program grant that works to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing in Georgia, with an emphasis on fixing what’s already there.

“Remediation of blight does not mean pushing down property only. It means repairing property so that people can rally and have good value and pride in where they live.”. 

The recipients of the grant were chosen through a raffle, and out of 24 applicants, eight of them were eligible. 

Francis says that this time around, the grant is focusing on those who have low income, are disabled, and are elderly. They also need to not only reside in the home, but also must have their name on the deed of the home. He says this is a chance to focus on those who may be underserved.

"It gives you a good feeling that in doing things like this, you're not just improving the outside appearance of property, but you're really changing people's lives,” he says. 

Mary Jackson is 81 and has lived in her home in the Harrisburg neighborhood for 33 years.

“I really am thankful,” she says. 

While she is one of the recipients that has minimal damage to her home, she says because of her age and disability, she finds it it is hard for her to get around, especially in her bathroom. 

"I was in a car accident years ago and got severe back injuries, and there's a tub that I have to step over in, and I'm just not able to now,” Jackson explains. 

She says there are several other problem areas in her home that she says could potentially make her fall one day– like a few misplaced tiles in her utility room. 

Jackson says this has been a long time coming.

“For years I've been trying to get it done and wasn't financially able, and my heart goes out to the people who made it possible,” Jackson said.

County Manager Carlos Tobar says two of the selected houses are minimally blighted, two are severely blighted, and the remaining four are moderately blighted. He says Jackson’s house may cost the least amount of money to fix– under $20,000.  

Tobar says they hope to finish repairs on the first three houses by January and plans to reapply for the CHIP grant next year.

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