Greensboro Awarded $300,000 for Home Renovations

Community Home Investment Program (CHIP) grant announced by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs

The City of Greensboro was selected to receive $300,000 to fund home renovations through Georgia’s Community Home Investment Program (CHIP).  The grant announcement was made by Department of Community Affairs Commissioner, Gretchen Corbin and is part of more than $10.2 million in CHIP funding awarded to local communities and non-profit organizations across the state.

Greensboro’s CHIP grant will seek to rehabilitate owner-occupied homes in the Mary Leila Mill Village neighborhood. Eligibility for the renovation funds will be based on the age and income of the home occupants, the census tract location of the home, and the degree of need.

“Greensboro’s CHIP grant award is exciting news for our city,” comments Greensboro’s Community Development Director, Cail Hammons.  “Typically these grants provide for the rehabilitation of seven homes within a targeted neighborhood.  This funding is a step in the right direction for Greensboro’s efforts to facilitate neighborhood revitalization in our community.”

Greensboro’s increased focus on the improvement of its residential areas was born out of redevelopment efforts that began on Main Street with the city’s Better Hometown Program more than 15 years ago.  As these efforts matured, city leaders looked to encourage revitalization in the neighborhoods that surround downtown.

“Cities with healthy downtowns have thriving neighborhoods surrounding the core commercial district,” explains Hammons.  “Housing is typically an important part of successful downtown development strategies.”

Greensboro was accepted into the state’s Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH) program in 2013 and formed a local Community Housing Team to establish

goals and provide citizen input for the city’s neighborhood revitalization efforts.  The Community Housing Team identified CHIP funds as a housing resource for the city.

For more information about Greensboro’s housing efforts or the CHIP program, visit www.greensborocommunityhousing.com or contact Cail Hammons at (706) 453-7674.

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