New Affordable Housing for 64 Families Coming to Macon’s Historic Pleasant Hill Neighborhood

On Wednesday, September 18, Macon-Bibb County leaders announced plans to build new housing for 64 families in the Historic Pleasant Hill Neighborhood. T

The Macon Housing Authority received $17.5 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from the Department of Community Affairs, to go towards building 64 new high-quality affordable rental properties. Macon-Bibb County will add another $2 million from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that has already helped fund housing  with Habitat for Humanity building homes on Carmen Place and , housing in Beall’s Hill, Napier Heights, and Lynmore Estates.

The funds will support the construction of 1- to 3-bedroom affordable rental units at the corner of Walnut and Madison Streets. The units will be income-restricted according to limits set by the Department of Housing & Urban Development, but the development will also include mixed-income housing.

“This abandoned area will once again live as a center of the community,” said Mayor Lester Miller, speaking about the revitalization of the neighborhood. An overgrown playground and a former school building, which will be demolished, are set to make way for the new housing.

Macon Housing Authority CEO Mike Austin highlighted the national need for affordable housing, emphasizing the importance of this project in addressing local demand. Erion Smith, Chair of the Historic Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Organization, added that the development would help fight blight and restore hope to the community.

The project is expected to cost around $18 million and is currently in its early stages.