Using the 5W's approach, the example below demonstrates one way the City of Statesboro is channeling ARPA funds into the community.
Who?
Low-income households (between $31,150-$58,750, depending on the number of occupants in the household) within the limits of the City of Statesboro are eligible for housing rehabilitation grants.
What?
The City of Statesboro is allocating $5 million of its $12.3 million ARPA funds towards a housing rehabilitation grant program. $1.5 million of the first $2.5 million allotment will focus on the Johnson St. neighborhood west of downtown Statesboro, with the remaining $1 million invested on a case-by-case basis in other neighborhoods. The second $2.5 million allotment, which is set to arrive in July 2022, will be divided in a similar fashion. The funds will be administered by Insight Planning and Development, a consulting firm based in Wilmington, NC.
To be eligible for grant funding, properties must be owner-occupied and located within the City of Statesboro – not wider Bulloch County. Grants will only be awarded to properties with significant structural issues and will not be used for superficial or cosmetic improvements. Awarded grants will cover up to $50,000 in repairs. Repairs are expected to take about 3 months to complete, and approved construction work is expected to commence by the end of the year.
Where?
Statesboro, GA is the county seat of Bulloch County (population per 2020 census: 33,438), located about 50 miles northwest of Savannah. Notably, it is the home of Georgia Southern University’s flagship campus.
When?
The online application opened on March 24th, and the deadline to apply to the program’s first round of funding is June 23rd, 2022.
Why?
Statesboro’s housing composition is complex due to the presence of a large undergraduate renter population. Most recent residential housing development has occurred outside of Statesboro city limits at a price point in accessible to low-income families. Meanwhile the housing stock in the city’s core continues to age rapidly - most of the city’s “poor” and “fair” condition homes are clustered west and northeast of downtown Statesboro. By 2030, more than half of the city’s single-family homes will be over 50 years old. Because 42% of Statesboro’s residents have an annual income below $35,000, many households will not be able to afford the expensive but necessary repairs required to maintain aging housing stock.
City Contact
Charles Penny, City Manager charles.penny@statesboroga.gov
Media Reporting
City of Statesboro devoting $5 million to new Housing Rehab Program (wtoc.com)
Statesboro kicks off newly introduced housing rehabilitation program | WSAV-TV
City selects firm to administer $5M housing rehab program - Statesboro Herald