MACON, Ga. — A woman in Macon's Pleasant Hill neighborhood now has a place to call home thanks to Bibb County students and Habitat for Humanity.
Whitney Johnson is settling into her new house after years of struggling to find stable housing.
"After my grandmother had passed and me and my daughter were evicted from her home abruptly just uprooted from where we were born and raised," Johnson said.
She and her daughter lived in a group home that Johnson says was not up to code with inspections. Her neighbor suggested an option that soon changed her life.
"My neighbor was like 'Habitat for Humanity!' and I was like 'okay, yeah,' so I got on the internet and filled out an application and I just say God had his hand in it," Johnson said.
That application led to a joint effort with Bibb Schools and Habitat for Humanity through the $1.5 million YouthBuild grant to help students get a diploma and develop construction skills by building houses.
"This was an opportunity for students ages 16-24 who had not completed their high school diploma to come back into the school district, complete their diploma or a GED program, and to receive job placement and job training skills," said Bibb Schools assistant superintendent, Lori Rodgers.
"Our habitat homes are built to fit the families, and so for this family we built a 3 bedroom and 2 bathroom home. It has an open concept for the living room and kitchen and then three really great-sized bedrooms," said Macon Area Habitat for Humanity Director, Ivey Hall.
Habitat homeowners are chosen based on their need, ability to pay the 20-year 0% interest mortgage, and take financial education classes. Johnson's application stood out.
"She was ready to settle down and really have some strong roots here in our community," Hall said.
"I mean it means so much to me. They don't know what they did to a person, cause basically people were basically calling me homeless, and now I have a home," Johnson said.
Bibb Schools received another $1.5 million grant to continue the YouthBuild program. Interested students ages 16-24 can apply on the district website. Interested homeowners can apply on the Macon Area Habitat for Humanity website.
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