Officials get a grilling on problems with low-income housing

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Housing issues took center stage Tuesday when Augusta Commission got updates on several key issues when they met at the committee level.

Ervin Towers

• Ervin Towers is low-income housing for seniors, and representatives from the Augusta Housing Authority spoke. Also, a resident complained that he’s made several maintenance requests (including heating issues) that are never addressed.
• Housing officials said the apartments are slated for complete renovation “whenever possible.”
• For renovations, the state will provide up to $13.2 million, but $21.5 million is the estimated total cost.
• Augusta housing officials say they’ll have to move tenants to complete renovations but they don’t know how they’ll go about that yet.
• Commissioners Alvin Mason and Jordan Johnson put housing officials in the hot seat, asking if they would live in the apartments. The housing officials said: “Yes, if I had to” and, “It’s suitable living.” Mason and Johnson called them out, saying it wasn’t suitable and they need to work with the city to figure out solutions to problems at this location and other low-income apartments that have come before commissioners.

Homelessness

• Commissioners approved to bring back a funding allocation plan for ive housing units in 90 to 120 days.
• Leaders learned it will take more than $2 million to create the ive housing.
• The housing will be open to anyone, but particularly women and children.
• The housing will consist of 50 to 75 units similar in concept to current ones on Sibley Street.

Land bank

• Commissioners discussed blight and affordable housing efforts led by the Augusta Land Bank Authority.
• They scheduled a work session for later this month to further discus this initiative and specifics outside of commission before voting.

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