The City of Valdosta hosted a ribbon-cutting on Dec. 8 for a newly reconstructed home on 410 Cummings Street, located in one of the city’s Designated Revitalization Areas. The reconstructed home was built for homeowner Molly Jones using Community Development Block Grant funding and is one of four CDBG homes that the city has completed in 2015 in its efforts to eliminate substandard housing within the city limits.

The City of Valdosta was recently recognized by the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing program for its determination to increase affordable housing and to revitalize the community.  Furthermore, its use of CDBG funding seeks to provide this decent, safe and affordable housing and increase economic opportunities for citizens of the City of Valdosta. The Neighborhood Development Division, which oversees the CDBG entitlement funds, is responsible for directing, coordinating and managing all Valdosta programs receiving local, state, or federal funding for neighborhood and community development, which includes the First Time Homebuyer Education, the Single Unit Housing Rehabilitation Program and the Southern Hospitality Group Workcamp.

To be eligible for the reconstruction home program, a homeowner must meet income eligibility, must reside in the home, and the home must be deemed unsafe for occupancy. The city’s Rehab Construction Coordinator then conducts a feasibility study to determine if the cost of home repairs exceeds 50 percent of the home’s value and whether it may be considered for reconstruction utilizing the applicable grant funding.