Two new duplex homes totaling 4 units officially joined Tallahassee's affordable housing stock on Monday, Oct. 27. A local government partnership made the project possible.
Leon County Housing Services Manager Jelani Marks was at Monday's housewarming for the new homes on Birmingham Street in the Griffin Heights neighborhood. He says the joint project involves the County, the City, and the Tallahassee Lenders' Consortium, which provides affordable financing for the new property owners. Leon County donated the land for the homes and split the building costs with the City of Tallahassee.
"The Community Land Trust is a revolutionary tool that can be used to create home ownership opportunities for folks who is some cases may not be able to afford them," explained Marks. Tallahassee City Commissioner Curtis Richardson noted it's also the entire area that benefits.
"Housing like this also helps to reinvigorate the neighborhoods that we're building in that in the past have been neglected."
Even though the need for affordable housing far outpaces the supply, those connected with the affordable housing partnership hope to expand the program as more resources open up.
