- The Harvest Station development took three years to reach the groundbreaking phase due to funding and regulatory hurdles.
- Nearly one in three Valdostans live below the poverty line, with over 800 residents on the affordable housing waitlist.
- Watch the video to see how this project helps revitalize the surrounding area.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
This week, the City of Valdosta cut the ribbon on Phase 1 of Harvest Station and officially broke ground on Phase 2—a multi-million development aimed at tackling our affordable housing crisis one brick at a time.
But according to IDP Properties president Rhett Holmes, getting here takes more than a groundbreaking—it takes years.
"Developing affordable housing is not for the faint of heart. It takes a lot of people, a lot of time. There's a lot of government agencies involved. You have to compete for the tax credits in order to build this housing. Like I said, construction cost is another one. The bureaucracy of getting the tax credits."
It took three years just to get shovels in the ground. But for Holmes, who lives and works here, it's personal. Especially with an 800+ waitlist for affordable housing, and not many options other than creating supply.
"Working and living in Valdosta, we know about the affordable housing gap between affordable and market rate housing, but we see that in every town… not a community in the country hardly that doesn't have an affordable housing crisis at some level."
This project isn't just about housing—it's about community. The site, once home to crumbling tobacco warehouses, sits beside the library, a clinic, and will soon be part of a walkable, thriving corridor.
"That we partner with the Housing Authority, we're working with the library next door because it has, it's not just housing, it's economic development. So that it impacts more than just the people that are living here."
Mayor Scott James Matheson says this is one of the largest coordinated efforts the city's ever seen.
"So $3.4 million in the initial gift, another million to qualify for Phase 2. So, we're $4.4 million in on about a $35 million project."
From years of paperwork to shovels in soil—this project marks real progress in a housing landscape where nearly 1 in 3 Valdostans live below the poverty line.
In Valdosta, I'm Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.
Here's the website for more information on unit availability: https://www.harveststationapartments.com
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