On Monday, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff alongside several Georgia officials, announced a $500,000 injection into Clayton County's affordable housing initiative. According to a WABE report, this cash infusion will boost the construction of starter homes in the Hannah Springs subdivision, a project shepherded by Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity.

First-time homeowner Tanjills Sawyer shared with WABE the impact of this effort, "I couldn’t afford where I was staying. My rent was $1522, and now … my mortgage, my tax and my homeowner’s insurance are exactly half of what I was paying for rent. And it’s mine; I own it.” Her testimony highlights the essential nature of affordable housing programs to truly make a dent in the financial burdens faced by many in the region.

The properties under construction in Hannah Springs address the dearth of starter homes in Georgia, which ranks 11th among states for availability, as noted by research from Construction Coverage. Southern Crescent's CEO, Cynthia Jenkins pointed out that what they're doing is not the norm due to regulatory hindrances. "These homes [are] actually smaller than the minimum square footage requirements in most cities and counties," Jenkins told WABE. "Nobody’s building what needs to be built, and a lot of it is that regulation prevents them from doing that."

Lovejoy's officials, including Mayor Marci Fluellyn, have worked to amend the city's stringent zoning regulations, making room to construct the much-needed affordable housing. "Where they needed extra space for a space footprint, we went ahead and changed the variances and dunnage. When they wanted to build a certain square footage home, it was approved. We sat at the table and found the answer," Fluellyn explained to WABE.

The federal funding secured by Ossoff will be responsible to directly construct at least three more homes in the Hannah Springs area. With plans to wrap up the project by 2026, Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity remains committed to battling the affordable housing crisis, one starter home at a time.