Four families welcomed home to new houses

On Thursday, May 9, Macon-Area Habitat for Humanity and Macon-Bibb County welcomed home families to four brand-new homes, each built on formerly blighted property in Lynmore Estates.

"It's a great day in Macon-Bibb, especially when we can welcome not one, not two, not three, but four families home," Mayor Lester Miller told them. [Our Blight Fight] "is about more than just tearing down…it's about putting back together, about building back together. It's about strengthening neighborhoods one neighborhood at a time, one family at a time, one home at a time."

"We're very appreciative and grateful for this opportunity," said Natasha Calhoun after receiving her keys.

Minnie Simmons followed shortly after, saying, "I am so grateful for the love in our house, so thank you all so much."

"These homes are all built with so much love, hard work, and a lot of joy and laughter on the jobsite," said Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Ivey Hall. "So, you all helped turn these four blighted lots into homes for our families that we celebrate today. And thanks to y'all, we're not stopping with these four homes or this neighborhood."

Two of the four homes were built as part of a program that is funded with $500,000 each from Macon-Bibb's American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds and the Peyton Anderson Foundation. The $1 million program is being used to build eight homes, and these were the fourth and fifth of that program. The mortgage payments from those will be used to build even more in the future. The eight homes are being built on properties that had blighted structures on them that were demolished as part of the Blight Fight.

"Macon-Bibb - just like communities across the country - is facing a housing crisis, and we wanted to use our ARP funds to help our local organizations move forward more quickly with more options for people," says Mayor Miller. "I want to thank the Peyton Anderson Foundation for matching our ARP funds and Habitat for Humanity for taking on this extra work to help people in our neighborhoods."

Macon Habitat's mission serves to increase the homeownership rate and stabilize communities by offering safe and affordable housing. Construction for the first eight homes is focused in Lynmore Estates and Napier Heights. The homes will be energy-efficient 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom houses and sold to future homeowners with a 20-year, 0% interest mortgage. In the last 35 years, Macon Habitat has helped 130 families become first-time homeowners and will continue to offer more homeownership opportunities.

Rebuilding homes in neighborhoods is the next step in the county's ongoing Blight Fight, which has now passed its 710 demolitions. While the county has been removing dangerous and blighted structures, it has provided millions of dollars to several organizations to build new housing options.

In addition to Habitat for Humanity, that includes $3.2 million ($1.6 million each from Macon-Bibb and the Knight Foundation) to NewTown Macon and the Historic Macon Foundation, and $7.5 million as a match for a revolving loan fund that will be used to build even more housing.

"We are working to strengthen our families, our homes, and our neighborhoods as quickly as we can, using many different programs and strategies," adds Mayor Miller. "Whether it's using the courts to crack down on centers of crime, providing free mental health support services, improving public safety, or building housing, this work is too important for us to slow down."

About Macon Area Habitat for Humanity
Macon Area Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical Christian housing ministry whose goal is the elimination of substandard housing in Macon. Since its inception in 1986, Macon Area Habitat for Humanity has served almost 130 families in the Macon area through invaluable partnerships with area churches, corporations, groups, individuals, nonprofits, and local governments, through the provision of safe, decent, and affordable homeownership.

MAHFH also works in partnership with residents to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods undergoing revitalization and is a persistent advocate, not only for these initiatives but also for the removal of blight and decay in Macon-Bibb. To learn more, visit maconhabitat.org.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.