On Tuesday, November 14, two families witnessed the ceremonial start of construction of their future homes. Habitat for Humanity, Macon-Bibb County, and the Peyton Anderson Foundation held a ceremonial Ground Blessing to show the start of construction on Carmen Place.
“On behalf of all the families now and in the near future who will have a stronger future as homeowners, I want to thank the Mayor, Commission, and Peyton Anderson Foundation for their support,” said Macon Habitat Executive Directory Ivey Hall. “With this funding we are continuing our years-long effort to strengthen all of Lynmore Estates.”
These two homes are the fourth and fifth home to be built as part of a program paid for 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 the mortgage payments from those will be used to build even more in the future.
“Becoming a homeowner through Habitat for Humanity has been such a huge blessing for me and my family,” said homeowner, Takirra Roberts. “They have such big impact on the community and the team has been more than helpful to me.”
Just down the street from Takirra, Natasha Calhoun and her family will be moving into their new home once it’s built. Natasha will also be a first-time homeowner, thanks to Habitat for Humanity.
“I’m so excited and grateful for this opportunity,” said Natasha. “I have family that haves Habitat homes, and I encourage anyone who wants to go through the process, should do it. It’s worth the wait.”
“It’s truly one of the most, if not the most, satisfying part of my job to see a home built, and a family go in. It’s just so important,” said Peyton Anderson Foundation President/CEO Karen Lambert. “Congratulations to the new owners. This is a new chapter in your lives filled with endless possibilities and opportunities. We’re honored to be part of your journey.”
Both properties the houses are being built on had blighted structures on them that were demolished and removed by Macon-Bibb County crews as part of the Blight Fight. Rebuilding homes in neighborhoods is the next step in the county’s ongoing Blight Fight, which marked its 600th demolition on Thursday, November 9. While the county has been removing dangerous and blighted structures, it has provided millions of dollars to several organizations to build new housing options.
“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,” said Mayor Lester 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.”
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.”