NEWS RELEASE

April 11, 2018

For Immediate Release

Mayor Tears Down Blighted Home to Promote Savannah Shines

SAVANNAH, GA (April 11, 2018) — City of Savannah Mayor Eddie DeLoach took the first swipe in tearing down a blighted home in the Edgemere-Sackville neighborhood after touting the impact the City’s Savannah Shines Initiative has had over the past year.

The Savannah Shines program was launched last August to coordinate neighborhood revitalization in four areas: Private Property, Public Property, Public Safety and Community Engagement. In those eight months, the Savannah Shines revitalization program has coordinated with local partners to do the following:

• Improve 42 home and rental properties
• Begin construction on 5 new homes
• Hold two neighborhood cleanup days
• Provide Tree Trimming
• Acquire an additional lot next to space planned for a future playground

Mayor Eddie Deloach said, “This is what I always dreamed to do. Taking a blighted house and building a new house in its place. There is nobody in the world who wants to live next to a place like that.”

The partners involved in making this demolition and construction possible include the City of Savannah, Savannah-Chatham Land Bank Authority (LBA), Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity (Habitat), WorkSource Coastal’s YouthBuild Savannah Program, Community Housing Services Agency (CHSA) and the Edgemere-Sackville neighborhood association.

Alderman John Hall, whose district covers the Edgemere- Sacksville neighborhood, said, “We will continue to invest in Savannah Shines and its partners. It’s going to pay off. We are going to make a difference before we leave.”

The City’s Housing & Neighborhood Services Department brought the parties together, and along with CHSA and Habitat, is helping to arrange project financing. The Land Bank Authority acquired the property and is demolishing it to make way for a new infill home. The Savannah Affordable Housing Fund administered by CHSA will be used to help finance construction of the new home.

Habitat for Humanity will utilize the YouthBuild Savannah construction training program to build much of the new house. Once constructed, Habitat will sell the house to one of its qualified home buyers.

The neighborhood association, with help from WorkSource Coastal and the City’s Human Services Department, is marketing the YouthBuild Savannah program to young adults age 16 to 24 who live in the Edgemere-Sackville neighborhood and who did not complete high school. To learn more about the YouthBuild Savannah program and obtain an application call Step Up Savannah (912) 651-2166.