Non-Profit Provides Affordable Homes in Metro Atlanta
Cobb Housing Inc. (CHI) was one of six recent winners of NAHB’s Innovations in Workforce Housing Award in recognition of its efforts to address the demand for housing that is affordable to working families in Cobb County, Ga., long a hot spot in the fast-growing metro-Atlanta market. The non-profit group was recognized for its Mitchell Chase subdivision, a 31-home development that is making housing affordable to teachers, police officers and other public servants who might otherwise be priced out of Cobb County’s increasingly expensive housing market. Joining CHI as stakeholders in the project were the Cobb County Chapter of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, Cobb County and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through its HOME program. Many professionals in the building trades also contributed time to the effort. “We saw a need to help working families in Cobb County attain homeownership,” said Bobby Lunceford, an Atlanta-area builder who serves on the board of CHI. “Our desire was to help these families develop wealth and financial security that come from homeownership.”  Lunceford, who is also president of Bob Lunceford Properties Inc., accepted the award on behalf of CHI in January during the International Builders' Show in Orlando.
Cobb County provided funds for the acquisition of a 9.5-acre parcel of land. Most of the single-family homes will be sold to county employees and other public-sector workers. The goal is to produce housing that is affordable to families making less than 80% of the area median income. “We want to sell these houses at close to or even under market rate,” Lunceford said. “We’ll reduce costs to home buyers with downpayment assistance and grants.” More than 50 private companies and public-sector agencies have contributed to the effort to make Mitchell Chase a reality, Lunceford said. “I’m proud of the way Bobby Lunceford and the Atlanta-area home builders rolled up their sleeves and found a way to make a difference,” said Bobby Rayburn, immediate past president of NAHB. “Developing workforce housing isn’t easy. Dedication and a spirit of cooperation sometimes make all the difference.” | 
