The city of Statesboro has been awarded a $1,372,659 grant through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs’ 2025 Community HOME Investment (CHIP) Program.

According to a release from the city, the funding is earmarked for the construction of new single-family homes, aiming to provide housing options for very low- to low-income residents.

Statesboro was among 15 communities across Georgia selected to receive a portion of the $13.8 million allocated by the Department of Community Affairs for 2025 CHIP funding. Specifically, Statesboro is one of seven communities granted funds for new construction projects.

“Statesboro has not received a CHIP Grant since 2001,” said Kathy Field, who recently retired as director of Planning & Development for the city. “The city has applied multiple times for CHIP funding over the past 24 years without success, but we never wavered in our commitment to secure resources for our residents. 

“Being selected this year is not just a victory for the city, but also for the families and individuals who will benefit from safe and affordable housing made possible with these funds.”

The CHIP program, backed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the Department of Community Affairs, offers grants to local governments, nonprofits and public housing authorities. The grants support the rehabilitation of owner-occupied homes and the construction or renovation of affordable single-family homes for sale to eligible buyers. The program enables communities to construct new affordable housing, with grants of up to $1.5 million allowed per grant cycle. 

Statesboro’s CHIP funds will be used to construct single-family homes in targeted areas, such as the Pine Street neighborhood located on the city’s west side in Council District 2. 

A collaboration with local partners, including Habitat for Humanity and Agape Worship Center, made the application possible, the release stated.

“Statesboro is seeing the strength of community collaboration with the awarding of these funds,” said Justin Williams, Planning & Housing administrator for Statesboro. “Partnering with Habitat for Humanity and Agape Worship Center really set our application apart. We were able to lay out a strategic path to ownership for income-eligible buyers while also revitalizing a long-overlooked street in our community.”

In 2021, Agape Worship Center acquired five parcels along Pine Street and two parcels on neighboring Dunlap and Spruce Streets, as part of an effort to rejuvenate the area, which had become a haven for criminal activity and public blight, according to the release.

In January 2025, the city of Statesboro entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Agape and Habitat for Humanity of Bulloch County that the city would provide funding for nine homes if awarded a CHIP grant.

Within the terms of the agreement, Habitat agreed to build six homes in the Pine Street neighborhood over the next two years, using funds received through the CHIP grant. Additionally, three homes would be contracted to local builders for construction and also sold by Habitat. As part of the agreement, Habitat would reimburse Agape Center $11,111.11 upon the sale of each completed new home.

Eligible homeowners interested in applying to own one of the new homes must apply through Habitat’s income-based qualification process. More information can be found at https://habitatbulloch.org/.

The Pine Street project is part of the city’s ongoing “Johnson Street Neighborhood Revitalization.” In 2021, Statesboro’s City Council approved the creation of an Urban Redevelopment Area, which identified several neighborhoods within the city limits in need of revitalization. The area surrounding Johnston Street, including Pine Street, was selected as a top priority due to the declining physical condition of many homes located there.

According to the release, over the past few years, city council members and staff have taken a proactive approach to affordable housing, including participation in the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH) Senior Year Program, creating an affordable housing plan, conducting a housing needs study and establishing a housing rehabilitation program. 

The efforts bolstered the city's capacity to secure competitive housing grants and implement impactful community development projects, the release stated.

For more information about the CHIP funding and the City of Statesboro’s affordable housing initiatives, contact the Statesboro Planning and Development Department at (912) 764-0630 or visit www.statesboroga.gov/planning-development.