In October 2021, the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Savannah (the “City”) adopted the Housing Savannah Action Plan (HSAP) developed by the Housing Savannah Task Force to increase housing availability, accessibility, and affordability options for all who choose to make Savannah their home.  This includes helping provide housing for persons facing the aforementioned challenges. 

As part of its HSAP response, the City is prepared to transfer four vacant lots, including one with frontage at 916 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, to the Chatham County/City of Savannah Land Bank Authority (LBA) and to authorize Community Housing Services Agency, Inc. (CHSA) to utilize up to $5,500,000 from the SAHF to bring about the development of the aforementioned housing and facility.  CHSA Development, Inc. will develop the property.  Once developed, the improvements will be sold to a non-profit organization with the demonstrated financial strength necessary to own and manage the completed improvements, and with demonstrated success in providing housing and supportive services to persons and families experiencing homelessness, exiting homelessness, and/or at risk of becoming homeless.  This non-profit owner-operator will be identified through a request for proposals process overseen by CHSA, with help from the City, during development of the property.  The selected non-profit owner-operator will be required to establish an advisory arm composed of representatives from the City, CHSA, LBA, a nearby business, and the neighborhood association to help ensure that the property is managed and maintained as envisioned and that residents are welcomed into the neighborhood.  Construction is expected to begin in January 2025 and to be completed near the end of 2025.

Approval