A municipal order will be voted on at Tuesday’s City commission meeting that authorizes the mayor to execute real estate purchase agreements for three properties on West Eighth Street. If approved, these properties will be acquired by the City through federal funds for the purchase of housing development.
Property owners of 1013 West Eighth Street, 1015 West Eighth Street and 1017 West Eighth Street have agreed to convey said properties to the City. Once acquired, the City plans to use HOME funds in compliance with National Housing and Urban Development (HUD) objectives of removing blighted properties.
City Manager Nate Pagan said this municipal order won’t cost the City a dime as federal housing funds will be used to purchase the blighted properties and repurposed into affordable housing units.
“Those federal funds must be used for affordable housing purposes,” Pagan said Monday. “We’re going to purchase three lots that have narrow, shotgun-style houses and convert the three lots to two lots. We will then transfer the properties to Habitat for Humanity.”
After the properties are transferred to Habitat for Humanity, Pagan said volunteers and Habitat workers will build new homes that will be donated to families of the organization’s choosing.
The purchase price of the three lots is estimated at $14,000-$15,000 each.
