The Mayor and Aldermen have undertaken an initiative to bring about the development of blighted, abandoned properties as quality affordable housing for low- and modest-income persons. The Chatham County/City of Savannah Land Bank Authority (LBA) requests that the City of Savannah transfer the title of 19 City-owned vacant properties in the Cuyler-Brownsville neighborhood to the LBA. The LBA will make the property available to the Galvan Foundation, Inc. (Galvan) so it can acquire the properties and develop housing for sale and rent. The City has, in the past, similarly transferred blighted property to the LBA for this purpose. The LBA will return no less than 90% of the net sale proceeds to the City of Savannah.

 

Galvan will raise and invest upwards of $5,000,000 to develop housing on vacant property it acquires from the LBA. Development will begin in 2023 and is part of a planned multiyear investment by Galvan for the improvement of housing and quality of life in the Cuyler-Brownsville neighborhood. In support of this commitment to the Cuyler-Brownsville neighborhood, Galvan will also provide $1,000,000 to the Savannah Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF) to improve owner-occupied and rental housing, to renovate vacant and develop new housing, and to provide down payment assistance to first time home buyers. This investment is in addition to $50,000 that Galvan contributed to the SAHF in 2022.

Approval