More affordable housing could come to south Columbus if Neighborworks gets OK

A plan by Neighborworks Columbus to build 100 affordable single family homes and townhomes in south Columbus is gaining momentum after the Columbus Planning Advisory Council voted to move the project forward on Wednesday.

Neigborworks has applied to have nearly 38 acres on Leslie Drive (located near the intersection of Victory Drive and North Lumpkin Road) rezoned from a general commercial zoning to a residential multi-family zoning to allow for the construction of affordable housing.

Much of the property, which is located behind the Bojangles restaurant, abuts Bull Creek, with a mobile home park along one side.

Cathy Williams, president and CEO of Neighborworks, said the nonprofit organization, which works to provide access to affordable housing for residents in the Chattahoochee Valley, is currently working in collaboration with First Baptist Church with plans to turn the vacant property into a mix of single-family and multi-family housing units, or 33 single-family homes and 67 townhomes.

Williams told the planning council Wednesday she would like to see the portion of the property buffering Bull Creek have amenities like walking trails and picnic tables.

“We think that south Columbus is due for something great to happen and affordable housing is what we think is great, because in this community there is quite an extraordinary gap between what is affordable and what is available for our low to moderate-income families,” she said.

Once the rezoning is approved by Columbus Council, Williams said it would likely take a year to build enough capital to start and another year for low-income housing tax credits or tax allocations to come in. A hopeful estimate is that groundbreaking would occur in two years.

Williams said Neighborworks will try to gather enough capital to allow for single family homes and townhomes with garages and amenities, so that the families will be able to build an asset for their futures, and will have more options than apartments or trailers.

“We want to bring real decent single family housing to that area so that these families can not only live in sustainable, affordable housing but can also build an asset for their family’s future,” she said. “It’s what we feel this community needs and it’s what we feel this community deserves.”

The trailer park adjacent to the property contains several mobile homes that are currently encroaching on the Neighborworks property. Williams said Neighborworks would be willing to work with the owner of those mobile homes and wait until all of the mobile homes are vacant before they request they be moved from the Neighborworks property.

The Planning Advisory Council unanimously recommended approval of the rezoning to council, which will hold two readings before a final vote is held.