By Alaina Tullis | The City of Lawrenceville and the Gwinnett Housing Corporation are working together to inform the public about important affordable housing options.
Tullis
Councilwoman Marlene Taylor-Crawford says: “With many different options available, clear communication of resources is important. Working with community partners like the Gwinnett Housing Corporation brings greater creativity and ultimately the potential for an improved quality of life for our residents. Addressing the needs of housing is a multi-tiered approach and understanding the needs in the City of Lawrenceville is crucial.”
The Gwinnett Housing Corporation (GHC) is a nonprofit development organization established by its parent company, the Lawrenceville Housing Authority (LHA), in 1997 with a mission to create sustainable housing opportunities for low and moderate-income families in Gwinnett County. In July, GHC will open the door to the county’s first Homeowner Resource Center focused on preserving homeownership in Gwinnett County by providing home rehabilitation and foreclosure prevention counseling.
The Center will also support first-time home buyers by connecting them to down payment assistance programs, HUD-certified housing counselors, and access to nonprofit affordable housing developers and lenders. GHC will work with several partner organizations through the center, including Gwinnett/Walton Habitat for Humanity, Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership Inc. (ANDP), Money Management International, Catholic Charities, Community Sustainability Enterprise, the Gwinnett County Housing Department and Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America.
In addition, the GHC and the City of Lawrenceville have partnered with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) to administer the Community HOME Investment Program (CHIP), which focuses on rehab and code violation mitigation for owner-occupied properties. Income-eligible homeowners can receive assistance by creating a scope of work, soliciting bids from general contractors, and overseeing the rehabilitation of the property. The City of Lawrenceville is also supporting the Healthy Homes program with an additional $100,000 grant that will be offered out of the Homeowner Resource Center to help families abate housing-related health hazards such as radon gas, mold, asbestos, and lead-based paint.
Lejla Prljaca, executive director of the Lawrenceville Housing Authority, says: “To raise awareness of housing resources in the community, the Gwinnett Housing Corporation and the Lawrenceville Housing Authority are organizing a Housing Expo at Central Gwinnett High School on July 15, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., where more than 20 housing providers will be hosted to offer services across the entire housing spectrum. Families facing eviction, wishing to learn about the homeownership opportunities and down payment assistance programs, or needing financial help with home repairs will all be able to learn about available programs and apply on-site.”
Focusing on the creation, revitalization, and preservation of housing stock in targeted neighborhoods with physical and economic reinvestment needs, GHC is experienced in every aspect of housing, from the new construction and rehab of affordable housing for sale to low-income home buyers to the maintenance and management of affordable rental housing. It is the only agency in metro Atlanta that provides an entire spectrum of housing programs: emergency housing (LiveNorcross), transitional housing for homeless families (Pathway HOME), affordable rental housing (Multifamily and LIHTC), and a homeownership program (Welcome HOME), enabling families to transition from homelessness and housing insecurity to the private sector housing and home ownership.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
Follow Us