11 months ago
Central Georgia housing authorities will get more than $10 million under the federal economic stimulus package, with almost half of that headed to Macon.
The Macon Housing Authority has been awarded $4.8 million, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Wednesday.
The money is part of $112.7 million in grants awarded to 184 housing authorities throughout Georgia. Overall, nearly $3 billion in such grants were handed out to 3,122 local housing authorities to help pay for a backlog of capital improvement projects.
Macon Housing Authority Director John Hiscox says almost all of his agency's money will go to modernize the Pendleton Homes, built as military housing in 1940.The 250 units will get new kitchens, new floors, energy improvements and a face lift inside and out. The modernization won't only improve the lives of people living in Pendleton, he said.
"It puts a lot of people to work. We're talking about somewhere in the neighborhood of perhaps 200 people working at any given time. So it's putting a lot of people to work and generating a lot of business for small and local businesses as well," he said.
Debra Kleckley has lived in Pendleton Homes since 1994. She says she loves aspects of her home, like the people and location, but admits the neighborhood looks old.
"I think the change will change the mindset of the people, because the more they do to improve it, it gives you ownership," said Kleckley.
Other Georgia housing agencies and the amounts received include:
- Dublin: $1,088,038
- Warner Robins: $811,117
- Milledgeville: $689,943
- Eastman: $397,277
- Sandersville: $267,504
- Eatonton: $228,002
- Cochran: $214,175
- Soperton: $213,059
- Fort Valley: $187,632
- Wrightsville: $169,812
- Hawkinsville: $161,663
- Roberta: $135,905
- Tennille: $131,775
- McRae: $130,234
- Perry: $90,302
- Alamo: $75,136
- Houston County Housing Authority: $69,493
- Byron: $56,326
- Sparta: $46,827
- Abbeville: $28,767
- Rochelle: $26,017
