GEORGIA DCA AWARDS HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TO THOMASVILLE

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GEORGIA DCA AWARDS HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TO THOMASVILLE Article PhotoThe Georgia Department of Community Affairs has awarded $612,000 in grant-funding to Thomasville in order to build new, single family homes and help homeowners rehabilitate existing homes. The awards were made through the 2016 Community HOME Investment Program.

“The grants were disbursed from a pool of $6.2 million, across 16 communities within Georgia,” City of Thomasville Housing Administrator Charlotte Christian said. “Grant amounts range from $160,140 to $612,000, so we were ecstatic that we received the maximum award possible.”

“Since 2000, we’ve received $506,000 in CHIP funding for rehabilitation projects,” she noted.

“We are pleased to announce these funding awards today. The CHIP program is an important tool that we have at DCA to work with local governments in their efforts to provide safe and affordable housing for their citizens,” said DCA Commissioner Camila Knowles. “These awards allow local governments to help folks like seniors on fixed incomes who cannot afford needed home repairs to have those repairs made and stay in their homes. Likewise, these funds can leverage local partnerships to make homeownership a reality for low- to moderate-income families who thought that may always be out of reach for them.”

CHIP provides funds local governments and other such entities provide affordable housing within their communities. Funds may be used to provide eligible, low- and moderate-income households to assist with homeowner rehabilitation and to build new single family homes for resale. The goal of the program is to expand the supply of, and access to, safe and affordable housing in Georgia’s communities.

“We’ve already rehabilitated five houses using 2009 CHIP grant funding,” Christian said. “We’ve nearly completed six more homes planned for renovation, as well as one reconstruction with the 2013 CHIP grant funding.”

With the most recent CHIP grant award, the City plans to build five new homes in the community.

“We’re working with the Thomasville Land Bank Authority to acquire low to no-cost lots, which help to keep construction and home costs down,” Christian said. “This will really serve to put housing within reach of many families in the community.”

Christian said there are income and other qualifications for citizens to be considered for the CHIP grant funding. Additional details about the program and home buyer applications will be available in late summer.


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