As she stood in front of her new home in Atlanta Habitat for Humanity’s Browns Mill Village, a teary-eyed Jameka Gray recalled one of her last conversations with her late father.
“[My father] said “Jameka, you work too hard to be renting, you need to own,”” Gray said.
Gray is one of Atlanta’s newest homeowners through the Atlanta Habitat first time homebuyer program. She dedicated the moment to her father at an Oct. 5 ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration for six homes in the organization’s first master-planned neighborhood south of the city.
The new houses are on “Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Way” as part of a dedication to President Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday on Oct. 1. It’s a nod to the president and first lady’s decades of service with the national and Atlanta chapters of Habitat for Humanity. The Carter Work Project, an annual building blitz, has helped build over 4,300 homes in 14 countries.
Atlanta Habitat for Humanity President and CEO Rosalyn Merrick said the new homes represent “everything Jimmy and Rosalynn stand for” by creating more affordable housing in the city, particularly in underserved neighborhoods. The organization has built or renovated more than 1,600 homes since its launch in 1983.
“We’re just excited that everything that they advocated for continues today,” Merrick said. “In fact, there are six more families in the Browns Mill Village development who are benefiting from their legacy.”
To join the homebuyer program, applicants have to be first time homebuyers and meet certain income guidelines. Once accepted, they have to maintain a daily savings balance of $500 for at least six months, meet credit guidelines and hit 250 “sweat equity” hours via classes and workshops hosted by Habitat.
The finished house will have an $800 down payment and an interest-free mortgage for 30 years. Monthly payments vary depending on size and number of rooms, but the mortgage is typically less than $1,000.
“We understand that homeownership is still the surest pathway to create legacy and wealth for one’s family,” Merrick said. “Because of the interest-free 30-year mortgage we provide, these families can afford their home; they’ll pay it off early, and all of that income they can use for other opportunities in their lives.”
Merrick emphasized that the relationship between Habitat for Humanity and its homeowners is long-lasting. Throughout the 30-year mortgage, the organization helps support the owners through seed grants for education, entrepreneurship and professional development. Merrick said the goal is to “build, grow and thrive.”
The nonprofit relies on corporate partners like Wells Fargo to achieve that goal. Through the company’s global “Welcome Home” volunteer initiative, employees are sent to work on projects like home builds or renovations and help out with finance-oriented programs and workshops.
The six new homes in Browns Mill Village were sponsored by the Wells Fargo “Welcome Home” Initiative.
Tai Roberson, Wells Fargo Senior Vice President of Philanthropy and Community Impact said the company will work with the new homeowners around financial literacy and capability, often helping with Habitat’s required “sweat equity” programs.
Roberson said it’s a “holistic approach to making sure they’re successful on their home ownership journey.”
That approach is what drew participants like Jameka Gray to the program. She learned about it four years ago and was drawn by the lack of income limits over time.
“One thing I love about the program is you can continue to make money,” Gray said.
She wanted the ability to succeed financially alongside owning a home. The first few times she reached out, though, it was at capacity — then the program halted with the onset of COVID-19. Gray wasn’t accepted into the program until February of this year, but it’s quickly become a major part of her life.
“It’s like my other family now, you know?” Gray said. “We all have different stories, but we all have the same goal.
It took a lot of work for Gray to make it through the program. Alongside 52-hour work weeks at Frito-Lay, she would complete the required “sweat equity” hours through classes and volunteering. But Gray said it’s worth it. Instead of $1,700 rent for the lifelong Atlanta resident, she’s the owner of a new affordable home.
“I’m so excited, I’m so happy and I just can’t wait to continue,” Gray said.
The new homeowner and the rest of her tight-knit neighborhood will keep taking Habitat for Humanity classes that cover everything from basic maintenance to the basics of credit.
As the new homeowners settle into their bungalows, Atlanta Habitat for Humanity is looking toward the next project. Merrick said the strategic plan is to use density to build more homes. The six new builds unveiled on Saturday are all energy-efficient single-family homes, but Merrick said the plan is to incorporate mixed density in the future.
“Our next planned community will offer higher density, more townhomes and duplexes as we as our single-family buildings,” Merrick said. “We want to have the best land use for the best use of our limited resources.”
A great story about a great idea, Habitat! Thanks for any promotion for this type of help! Well written.