Georgia Ports initiative aids home buying, repair

80 Savannah-area projects funded in first 11 months

The Port of Savannah Area Workforce Housing Initiative, funded by the Georgia Ports Authority, has aided 80 Savannah-area residents in the period from September 2023 through July 2024. A total of $625,000 in assistance went to 60 owner-occupied home repairs, 14 home purchases and six new home construction projects.

“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,” said Georgia Ports President and CEO Griff Lynch. “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.”

Georgia Ports has pledged a total of $6 million over eight years to support housing availability. The program is administered in partnership with the city of Savannah, Housing Savannah, Inc. and the Community Housing Services Agency, Inc.

The initiative assists near-port communities through the repair, construction, and purchase of affordable and workforce housing. It benefits low- and moderate-income homeowners, first time homebuyers, and renters.

The initiative focuses on housing improvements for residents of neighborhoods in the vicinity of the Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal and Ocean Terminal. It prioritizes home repairs for existing neighborhood residents and homeowners. It also supports eligible applicants with down payment assistance for first time home purchases in the Savannah area, including Garden City, Port Wentworth, and the City of Savannah.

“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,” said CHSA Executive Director Anita Smith-Dixon. “In terms of making a downpayment, 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, created by the city in 2011 and administered by CHSA, is used to leverage additional investments to support the development, preservation, and protection of affordable and workforce housing. At $6 million, GPA’s pledged contribution represents the single largest outside contribution to the Savannah Affordable Housing Fund in its history.