Chipola Area Habitat for Humanity breaks ground in Marianna for affordable housing subdivision
MARIANNA, FL. (WTVY) -The Chipola Area Habitat for Humanity celebrated a major milestone Wednesday morning.
“Everyone needs a place to call home” is a slogan the Chipola Habitat for Humanity holds near and dear to its heart.
That message is the driving force behind bringing the vision of an affordable housing subdivision to life in Marianna.
As area leaders and partners joined the organization for a groundbreaking, Chipola area’s HFH Executive Director Kevin Yoder reflected on the years that have gone into planning for this.
“This land was originally donated to Chipola Habitat back in the early 2000s and there were preliminary drawings drawn up in 2004 and 2005 but then how do we get the funding to build the subdivision before the housing even comes,“ Yoder said.
Fast forward to a few years later, an answer would come.
That’s where partners such as the city of Marianna come in.
“Affordable housing is huge and the need is huge so for it to be the first subdivision this town has seen in 20 years and for it to be an affordable housing project for individuals who live here who need this type of housing, it fills a big void and a big need,“ William Long, the City of Marianna’s city manager said.
The Gillis Ridge subdivision will be home to seven families chosen through Habitat’s equity hours program.
“Some of the families who will be living in these homes were a part of the groundbreaking today and just to see what this is going to do for their children, their families and their future,” Yoder said.
Yoder hopes this will have a ripple effect throughout the city.
“It is not about just building a house, it’s about transforming communities,” the executive director said.
The subdivision honors the Mackinnon-Gillis family who donated the land
Completion of the Gillis Ridge subdivision should happen in a couple of years.
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