Warner Robins breaks ground on first city-led workforce housing development
The city of Warner Robins broke ground Wednesday on its first workforce housing development aimed at creating a path to home ownership for working families.
The project will consist of eight single-story townhomes on Airman Boulevard just off U.S. Route 129. It will be funded by a $1.5 million Community HOME Investment Grant awarded to the city by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
The grant is part of a broader initiative by the state to build affordable housing and encourage community growth, according to a press release sent by the city ahead of the groundbreaking.
Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda Patrick said during the groundbreaking that the project will allow working people, including teachers and government workers, a path to home ownership.
“Home ownership is important to me, home ownership is important to my council members, and home ownership is important to the community,” Patrick said. “I believe everyone deserves a right to the American dream if they work hard for it.”
Patrick said the idea for the project started in 2017, when the mayor and city council at the time were eyeing the area for revitalization. They laid the groundwork for developing the Gateway Pointe apartment complex next door, which is a mixed-income rental development.
Warner Robins received the money to build the townhomes under Patrick’s leadership, which will be the first city-led development to focus exclusively on workforce housing and to prioritize home ownership as opposed to rentals.
“Individuals who are trying to make a better life for themselves cannot just be stuck paying rent for the rest of their lives,” Patrick said.
The city is partnering with Deep South Construction Services, a contractor based in Houston County, to build the homes. Owner Michael Ware said he estimates the project will be completed at the end of the year.
The development comes as concerns around affordability are rising in Warner Robins.
According to data from Zillow, the average monthly rent in Warner Robins in August of this year was $1,550 a month. It was about $1,500 a month the same time last year.
The cost to own a home in Warner Robins is rising as well. Zillow’s numbers also show the average sale price for a home was about $201,000 in June, the most recent data available. In September 2022, the average sale price was about $180,500.
Patrick said she’s heard from people she knows personally that homeownership in the area is a struggle, and hopes this new development can represent a major step towards solving the issue.
“These houses are going to for our workforce population here in the city who work here every day in fire departments or police departments or as teachers or in hospitals,” Patrick said. “They can pay a mortgage and have something to pass from generation to generation.”
Once completed, the city will go through applications and select eight families to purchase the homes. In order to qualify, families must earn less than $78,000 annually, with families earning under $49,000 getting priority.