On Tuesday, March 11, Macon-Bibb County, the Macon Housing Authority, Land Bank Authority, and Affordable Housing Fund marked the start of demolition of the former Macon Charter Academy in Historic Pleasant Hill, which will make way for affordable housing for 64 families. The former school building has sat empty for about eight years and had been crumbling on the inside. To see the full press conference, click here. To see pictures from the demolition, click here.  

“Housing has been a top priority for our administration since the beginning, and we have constantly been working to provide more,” says Mayor Lester Miller. “This is going to be great for our community and future generations.”  

The 1–3-bedroom units will go up on the corner of Walnut and Madison Streets. They will be income restricted to limits set by the Department of Housing & Urban Development, but there will be more mixed income housing.     

“Everybody knows you can’t turn on the news these days and not see a story about the demand for affordable housing. Not just in Macon, but throughout the entire United States,” said Macon Housing Authority CEO Mike Austin. “It is very hard to obtain these days, and that’s why it’s important that we take on projects like this and provide more affordable housing for the residents of our community.”   

 “This is a major milestone for the Affordable Housing Fund’s focus as it eliminates blight and removes safety hazards from the community while creating high density, quality units for dozens of families,” says Natalie Bouyett, Executive Director of the Affordable Housing Fund. “This is the kind of project we want to make happen across the county, and with great partnerships, I know it’s possible.”    

Funding for this opportunity comes from Low Income Housing Tax Credits granted by the Department of Community Affairs and the other part will come from the $7.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) revolving loan funds that have been used to build more housing throughout our community. The funds have assisted housing projects with Habitat for Humanity building homes on Carmen Place and , housing in Beall’s Hill, Napier Heights, and Lynmore Estates.