There’s always a project afoot at Athens Area Habitat, often more than one! Here’s a quick glimpse at some of the work we’re up to at the moment …
The Micah’s Creek Homeownership Opportunity Project is more than just a neighborhood. Centered on an 11-acre tracts in East Athens, and including some lots on surrounding streets, Micah’s Creek is a culturally blended community that includes families with kids attending Gaines Elementary and the “Lydia’s Second Home” bungalows, and it’s the subject of a longitudinal study by UGA on the impact of home ownership on educational achievement. Click here to learn more …
Building on the success of Lydia’s Homeplace in central Athens, Lydia’s Second Home is a set of houses on the east side of town which provide subsidized shelter for young adults coming from a background of homelessness who are accepted into area colleges and universities. These 2-bedroom bungalows, incorporated into the Micah’s Creek neighborhood, will change the life-trajectories of the students, mostly coming from the foster care system, who spend a critical period of their lives here. Click here to learn more …
Athens Area Habitat is in the early stages of developing a solarization program. We included a solar energy component in our Kinda Tiny Houses, which we’re continuing with qualifying Micah’s Creek homes, where we’re celebrating a Solar Barn Raising on October 24th. We’re also working with other non-profits to solarize our Athens thrift stores. But there’s much more to come as we grow our capacity! Click here to learn more …
Building on our work with Family Promise and Lydia’s Place, Athens Area Habitat is taking on a greater role in creating critical transitional housing for local families and individuals recovering from or on the brink of homelessness. Currently we’re working with Project Safe to provide secure housing where family members fleeing domestic violence can stay together as they build a new future. And recently we began partnership with Sparrow’s Nest to make apartments available for participants in their “Breaking the Cycle” program.
Homes in our Micah’s Creek Homeownership Opportunity Project are all being built with innovative construction techniques. We’re working with BuildBlock and Thomas Concrete to construct extremely energy-efficient, safe, quiet homes with insulating concrete forms (ICFs) on the main lot of Micah’s Creek. And we’re working with Impact Housing to place off-site constructed “Baxley homes” on satellite lots. Both of these building methods produce sturdier homes more quickly than traditional on-site stick-building and allow us to provide homes for our partner families in less time with top quality craftsmanship. Our most recent Baxley home will be owned by former participants in our affordable rental program, and will reuinte a family who’ve had to live apart for some time.