During a press conference this morning, Macon Area Habitat for Humanity announced that they will build 14 affordable homes in Macon-Bibb County with investments from Macon-Bibb County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and a matching grant from The Peyton Anderson Foundation.

In early June, the Macon-Bibb County Commissioners unanimously approved $500,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funding for Macon Habitat to offer low-income families access to homeownership, taking the Blight Fight initiative to the next step of stabilizing neighborhoods. The announcement todayof a grant from The Peyton Anderson Foundation will match the investment dollar for dollar to increase homeownership opportunities in our community.

Habitat will use these funds to construct eight homes immediately and six homes long-term. Several homeowners have already been approved for homeownership and are eagerly waiting for construction to start this fall. The mortgage payments from those 14 homes will provide funding for construction projects for years to come.

As Karen Lambert, President and CEO of The Peyton Anderson Foundation, shared during the press conference “This isn’t just progress in our community, it is transformation for generations.” She closed her remarks stating, “We look forward to seeing these homes rise up, families prosper and lives changing forever.”

Macon Habitat’s mission serves to increase the homeownership rate and stabilize communities by offering safe and affordable housing. Construction for the immediate eight homes will be 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.

Ivey Hall, Executive Director of Macon Area Habitat for Humanity closed the press conference saying, “Thank you to the Mayor, Karen and The Peyton Anderson Foundation Trustees, the Macon-Bibb County Commissioners and our Habitat Board of Directors and Staff for your support and partnership as we work to increase homeownership opportunities in Macon-Bibb County and change the landscape of neighborhoods by taking the Blight Fight to the next step. Your belief in the Habitat mission will change lives.”