Century Place construction underway
Mar. 8—After years of planning and raising money for Century Place, the first five homes are well underway.
"The goal is to drive in five at a time and move in one at a time in the order the families were approved," said Becca Randall, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Glynn County.
Located at the corner of Johnson and Sixth streets in Brunswick, it's the first self-contained community constructed by Habitat Glynn.
The 15 homes in the neighborhood will feature three to five bedrooms, Randall said. The development has its own road, green space and neighborhood covenant.
A very small and limited homeowners association will be in place, she said, but to keep it affordable it likely won't be very active.
The first five are all framed and roughed in, meaning they're hooked up with basic utilities.
Volunteers can do a lot of things, Randall said — some framing, window and door installation and painting, just to name a few — but more skilled tasks like electrical, plumbing and roofing are left to contractors. The organization is also subject to the same zoning and building laws as every other development.
The first five homes recently passed their framing inspections, with the rough-in inspections scheduled in the near future.
The green space in the middle of the development is a big deal, Randall said. It's the first such amenity Habitat of Glynn has designed, and it'll include trees, play areas for kids, benches and whatever else one might expect in a normal park.
Once Century Place is finished, Habitat Glynn will have 104 homes in its portfolio. That's another aspect of the project that stands out for Randall — it marks the 100th home built since Habitat Glynn was founded in 1989
"(Habitat for Humanity of Glynn County) has built an average of three homes per year. To date we have fully completed 88 homes," Randall said. "Between the pandemic and inflated construction prices, we faced some setbacks. However, Habitat is in full force, constructing five homes at a time until this 15-home development is completed."
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say staff and volunteers have spent 10,000 hours or more on the project so far, she said.
"Now that construction is underway, that number will increase significantly over the next two to three years," Randall said. "We are scheduled to complete this project in 2025, and I feel confident we will."
In a Tuesday interview, Randall made a point to emphasize that Habitat for Humanity is not a "giveaway." Individuals and families that benefit have to be approved for a mortgage.
Habitat builds the homes and is the loan originator for the owners, but they do own the buildings and must pay off the mortgages. Habitat does not charge interest, however, and sets payments at no more than 30% of the owners' income.
They're also required to contribute a certain amount of "sweat equity" to the construction of the homes.
"Our families deserve to be recognized for the effort they put into this," Randall said.
She also noted that no one who can qualify for a mortgage is turned away. While Habitat is a faith-based organization, faith does not factor into the loan process and Habitat does not proselytize.
"It's not up to me who God wants to bless," she said.
Habitat does a lot of good work, Randall added, helping people build equity and generational wealth for their families down the line.
On a personal note, she said being involved in the organization has been life-changing for her as well.
"We are not only building homes that create homeowners. We are building a foundation for financial independence, strength, self-reliance, and stability through shelter," Randall said. "When people have a place to call home, they can focus on other important necessities and enjoy focusing on the beautiful moments that life brings without fear of not having a safe reprieve, a shelter from the storm."
Information on the local branch of Habitat for Humanity can be found at hfhglynn.org. For information on volunteering, contact Riley Wilkes at rwilkes@habitatglynncounty.org. To apply for a home and loan from Habitat, contact Tashawnta Wells-Abel at twells@habitatglynncounty.org
ReStore, located in the Lanier Plaza shopping center, is a secondhand furniture and home improvement store run by Habitat of Glynn. Proceeds cover the organization's overhead and profit goes into the building fund, ensuring that 100% of all donations go toward building homes, Randall said. For information on donating to ReStore, contact scheduler@habitatglynncounty.org
To learn more about the organization or ask general questions, contact Randall at brandall@ habitatglynncounty.org.
