State and local officials break ground on new homes coming to the Hannah Springs subdivision in Lovejoy, Georgia following Ossoff's announcement. (DorMiya Vance/WABE)
Several local officials joined U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff Monday for an announcement allocating $500,000 dollars to Hannah Springs, a low-cost subdivision in Lovejoy, Georgia.
The Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity is leading the project. They say the money will support the continued construction of starter homes in Hannah Springs, which started in 2017.
Tanjills Sawyer is new to the neighborhood and is a first-time homebuyer. She said finding housing resources through Habitat for Humanity was like a second chance for her family.
Tanjills Sawyer hugs an attendee outside of her new home following Senator Ossoff’s allocation of half a million dollars to support further construction in the Hannah Springs community. (DorMiya Vance/WABE)
“I couldn’t afford where I was staying,” Sawyer said. “My rent was $1522, and now … my mortgage, my tax and my homeowner’s insurance are exactly half of what I was paying for rent. And it’s mine; I own it.”
The homes in Hannah Springs are starter homes, which are smaller-style homes for potential first-time buyers. According to recent research by Construction Coverage, Georgia is lower on the list of states to find a starter home, coming in at number 11.
Cynthia Jenkins is the CEO of the Southern Crescent Habitat. She said building these types of homes in the Hannah Springs community is uncommon and comes with several challenges.
“These homes [are] actually smaller than the minimum square footage requirements in most cities and counties. These are the classic starter homes that nobody’s building anymore,” Jenkins said. “Nobody’s building what needs to be built, and a lot of it is that regulation prevents them from doing that.”
The new starter home of Tanjills Sawyer and her family in the Hannah Springs subdivision. (DorMiya Vance/WABE)
Zoning regulations were a top concern for developments like Hannah Springs, but Lovejoy Mayor Marci Fluellyn said the city found ways to loosen its strict zoning rules.
“Where they needed extra space for a space footprint, we went ahead and changed the variances and dunnage. When they wanted to build a certain square footage home, it was approved. We sat at the table and found the answer,” Fluellyn said.
Ossoff’s half-million dollars in federal funding will build at least three more homes in the subdivision.
Southern Crescent Habitat expects to complete the development by 2026.
