THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WTXL) — Four new affordable homes are underway on Stevens Street, marking the start of a long-awaited neighborhood revitalization.
- Four homes: 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,200 sq ft, sale price just over $200,000.
- Financing by local banks & community partners, construction by local contractors.
- 40% of properties vacant or blighted; only 30% homeowners—project aims to build wealth and stability.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
On Stevens Street, history runs deep, but housing has been missing for decades.
I'm looking at how one groundbreaking could be the first step toward restoring both homes and opportunity in the neighborhood.
Back in January, I told you about a plan to build four homes on Stevens Street. Now, shovels are finally in the dirt.
Projects like this take time: tracking down land records, dealing with heirs' property issues, and making sure zoning clears the way.
"There's a lot of vacant property in these neighborhoods, but there's issues with vacant property. The biggest issue is air property. That means that someone died and they did not leave a will, so there's no one remaining that has a clear title," said Williams from TCDC.
Decades ago, Stevens Street was full of families, churches, and culture. Over time, homes were abandoned, leaving nearly 40% of properties vacant or blighted.
Now, the Thomasville Community Development Corporation wants to change that, starting with four single-family homes: each with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and about 1,200 square feet.
And they'll be sold for just over $200,000 to keep them affordable.
"I have been canvassing this community, door-to-door, knocking on people's doors, for the past year or so, and asking them, what do you want? What do you see in this community? And everybody says they want, one, they want less crime, and the other thing they say is they want new homes," said Williams.
Right now, only three in ten residents in this neighborhood own their homes.
One of those still renting is Brenda Smith, who lives just a block away.
She says her generation didn't always have the financial literacy to build wealth through homeownership.
Now, she's determined to make sure her son and others don't miss that opportunity.
"As you break the cycle, you come out of the way that you were brought up to educate yourself into savings, how to save, how to put forward, even with stocks and stuff. We didn't do stocks, my parents didn't, they didn't do stocks, but now I see the importance of it," said Williams.
Williams says that's exactly the goal: helping families break the cycle.
He tells me these homes aren't just roofs over heads, they're long-term investments that can appreciate in value and create wealth for future generations.
"So a house is a standard way that most Americans actually build wealth. These houses will appreciate over time, and the families that live in them will benefit from the appreciation for value in their house, and also if they decide to sell it, hopefully they'll make some money off of that," said Williams.
Williams tells me construction starts next week and should be completed in 6 months.
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