Bibb County seeks developer to build affordable homes in south Macon. What we know

Macon-Bibb County is taking another step in offering affordable housing, with the county seeking a developer to work on a set of single-family affordable homes in south Macon off Houston Avenue.

The development will consist of up to 10 single family homes that will be constructed in three phases, according to county documents.

Natalie Bouyett, executive director of the Macon-Bibb County Affordable Housing fund, and Alex Morrison, executive director of the Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority, said Tuesday the homes will help bolster an area that the city is already investing in.

“South Macon and Houston Avenue has been a target for revitalization for decades,” Morrison said. “This was once a very vibrant corridor, one of Macon’s many main streets back in its heyday, and it’s seen a lot of disinvestment.”

The neighborhood has seen better days. Shuttered businesses and dilapidated houses line the streets, and weathered parking lots cover areas where trees and homes once stood. According to U.S. Census data, the median household income in the area was just $56,808 a year. About 13% of residents are on food stamps, those same numbers show.

However, there is progress toward revitalizing the area. The county opened Cliffview Park in November, a $1.8 million project that brought greenspace back to the area. Bruce Elementary School also remains a bright spot for the community, educating more than 400 students who live in the neighborhood.

Everett Verner, executive director of the Macon Bibb County Land Bank Authority, said the Land Bank has been purchasing empty lots and blighted properties in the area for years with an eye toward revitalization.

The Land Bank, UDA and Affordable Housing Fund’s collective vision is to build up a homeowning base in the area by constructing and selling affordable homes to complement other development and lift the neighborhood up. The three-phase development the county is currently seeking a developer for is among the first pushes to turn those plots of land into houses.

“We started looking at properties in the neighborhood that we could easily acquire to create volume and establish a critical mass so that when we come in and do redevelopment, we’re not just doing one or two houses,” Verner said. “We’re looking for impact in that neighborhood.”

While the Affordable Housing Fund and the Land Bank are considering several properties along Houston Avenue to develop during the first phase, Bouyett said, their first choice is a set of four parcels on Villa Esta Avenue, right across the street from Bruce Elementary.

The Land Bank acquired the properties a little over a year ago for about $3,500 each, according to Verner. All four parcels were tax delinquent, meaning the owner hadn’t paid taxes by the established due date, making them easy to buy.

Once the parcels chosen for the project have been approved by the UDA’s board, they will be turned over to the selected developer. The developer will then construct the houses and work with the county to sell them to a qualified family.

According to Affordable Housing Fund documents obtained by The Telegraph, a family of four must make at or below $84,825 to be considered for the homes.

Once the phase one homes are sold, the money from those purchases will be put towards the second phase of development. More properties along Houston Avenue will be put forward, and more affordable homes will be constructed and sold.

“We have quite a bit of money set aside for this project, but we’re going to be reusing those funds again and again as much as possible,” Bouyett said.

While the timeline won’t be set in stone until the county selects a developer, Morrison said he hopes to see the houses inhabited in the next few years.

Bouyett, Morrison and Verner said they hope constructing affordable homes will attract families to the area. More residents will help attract more businesses and prosperity, which will in turn help further grow the population.

“I would like to see it turn back into a vibrant neighborhood that people want to live in and see as family friendly,” Verner said. “I’d love to see mixed demographics from bottom to top.”