MACON, Ga. — Several Central Georgia families will soon have a new place to call home. Grants from Macon-Bibb County and the Peyton Anderson Foundation will pay to build 14 new homes.
They'll start with four homes in Lynmore Estates, where the group has worked since 2005. Macon Habitat's executive director, Ivey Hall, says they'll build another four in Napier Heights.
"We're going to be looking for properties that have been on the blight list and are tax delinquent," Hall said. "It's a way for us to take properties that have been cleared in the initiative in the last year, the blight fight."
Mayor Lester Miller says it's a good way to make neighborhoods safer, while also giving needy families their own homes.
"We really want to make sure people have a home," Mayor Miller said in a press conference Friday. "The housing shortage is real, and we have lots of people in our community who need to have a good quality home that they can call theirs."
They will begin by building eight homes. All the money the group gets goes toward future development, Hall says. That includes mortgage payments. The mortgage from the original eight homes will pay for six new homes, for a total of 14.
"Long term, this investment will be re-invested in the construction of homes for years and years and years to come," she said. "So 14 is just the minimum. It really will touch a lot of lives."
Hall says the families are already selected for the first eight homes. If you'd like to apply, here's what you need:
- A demonstrated need for new housing. For example, if you need a bigger home but can't afford one.
- The ability to pay a mortgage. Those payments will go toward new construction for other families.
- Willingness to volunteer for 300 hours. That can be anything from helping with builds to working in the ReStore, or even taking classes.
To put in an application, go to their website and download the form. Then, make an appointment with one of the staff members to go over your application. You can find more detailed instructions on the website.
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