Port of Savannah Area Workforce Housing Initiative Assists 80 Residents

From September 2023 to July 2024, the Port of Savannah Area Workforce Housing Initiative, funded by the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), has provided assistance to 80 residents in the Savannah area. The initiative allocated a total of $625,000 to various housing needs, including 60 owner-occupied home repairs, 14 home purchases, and six new home construction projects.

Georgia Ports President and CEO Griff Lynch stated, “At GPA, we are excited to be a part of this effort to improve quality of life and housing availability for our neighbors in the Savannah community. It’s gratifying to know that real people are being helped to stay in their homes or start a new chapter in their lives as homeowners. Housing is a key factor in maintaining a vibrant workforce for the future.”

The initiative is part of GPA’s commitment to providing a total of $6 million over eight years to enhance housing availability. It is administered in collaboration with the city of Savannah, Housing Savannah, Inc., and the Community Housing Services Agency, Inc. The program targets near-port communities, focusing on repairs, construction, and purchases of affordable and workforce housing. It benefits low- and moderate-income homeowners, first-time homebuyers, and renters.

The initiative specifically supports housing improvements in neighborhoods near the Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal and Ocean Terminal. It prioritizes home repairs for existing residents and provides down payment assistance for first-time home purchases in areas such as Garden City, Port Wentworth, and Savannah.

CHSA Executive Director Anita Smith-Dixon noted, “Many of these individuals who are recipients of these funds are modest-wage homeowners or homebuyers. This gap funding makes it possible for them to have a roof over their head or do some deferred maintenance on their modest home. In terms of making a down payment, it provides them with gap financing so that they are able to purchase a home, which is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.”

GPA contributes the funding to Housing Savannah, Inc., a nonprofit that raises private and philanthropic donations for the Savannah Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF). The SAHF, established by the city in 2011 and administered by CHSA, leverages additional investments to support the development, preservation, and protection of affordable and workforce housing. With a pledge of $6 million, GPA’s contribution is the largest external donation in the history of the SAHF.