On Thursday, the LaGrange Housing Authority gathered on Jordans Way, off Ragland Street, to break ground on a new housing development that could offer a path to home ownership for its future residents.

“This is our rent to home ownership [program],” said Zsa Zsa Heard, the CEO of LHA. “We are going to put people in there that can rent them, and this leads them to homeownership.”

The homes at Jordans Crossing will have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and while the property is set up to allow for as many as 30 homes, Heard said that that fewer homes are planned in order to allow for more yard space.

“The plan here is to construct medium sized homes, 1,200 to 1,400 square feet on GreenSense,” said Earnest Pickett, facilities director for the LaGrange Housing Authority. “Our first house will have solar power. We are going to get solar installed.”

LHA is already working to go green in other areas with a newly installed Solar Flower at Phoenix Landing and energy efficient appliances being installed as part of its renovation process on its properties. However, the new development will be another stride toward energy efficiency for the community.

“We’ll have our first green subdivision,” Pickett said. “That is the inspiration. It will be moderate income homes.”

Pickett said that he has already heard from people interested in the homes.

“I think this area needs some moderate-income homes because we have so many people living in apartments,” said Carolyn Hardy Burke, the vice chairman of the LaGrange Housing Authority board of commissioners. “We just need some nice homes that they can afford.”

Heard said the homes are being constructed with Georgia Initiative for Community Housing recommendations in mind.

“This is one of the things that we are committed to [from] the housing assessment that was done by GICH,” Heard said. “We want to make sure we are in line with that and providing housing that will meet the needs of the community — for everybody.”

Meeting community needs was one of the reasons behind making the new development a rent to own program.

“That gives them a chance to have some ownership,” Heard said. “I think when we own things, we take pride in it. That makes us feel good.”

Heard said that while everyone will not want to be a homeowner, LHA is excited to provide an opportunity to purchase a home. 

“Some want a yard where their children can play,” Heard said. “Some want to be able to have a garage, so there will be garages here. This is an opportunity for us to provide housing to people who can afford it, and they can have that dream of having a home because that is the American dream — to own a home or have a home.” 

According to Heard, anyone can apply to purchase one of the homes.