Baldwin County is currently undergoing home renovations through the Community Home Investment Program (CHIP) grant. According to the Georgia Department of Public Affairs, the CHIP grant is a federally funded program designed to provide safe and affordable housing in Georgia to rehabilitate owner-occupied homes, plus build and renovate affordable single-family homes for sale to eligible homebuyers.
At the July 16 board of commissioner’s meeting, County Manager Carlos Tobar stated the 2022 CHIP grant is nearing completion with five of six houses completed and the final home expected to be finished this month. This grant was for $400,000 and in Baldwin County, citizens over 60 years of age or who are disabled are the first to be considered for the grant, as there is a high need for accessible and safe homes.
Two homeowners whose homes have already been completed spoke to The Baldwin Bulletin Aug. 1 and showed off the improvements made to their homes. The first belonged to 93-year-old homeowner Carolyn Greene, who used to work as a substitute teacher and nurse. Before receiving the CHIP grant, she said her home was a dangerous place to maneuver and had many old doors and appliances.
“It is a godsend,” said Greene. “The floors were wonky, and I can’t stress enough that I was in the kitchen and went all the way through (the floor).
Someone had to come and help me out. Now, the floors aren’t wonky and easy to move around. I was saved by them doing this work and they did a lot of work.”
Greene’s daughter was worried about the safety of her mother’s home and applied on her behalf.
When the 2022 recipients were selected, Greene was the first name picked.
Some of the repairs to Greene’s home included air conditioning, new flooring, opening up her small bedroom into a large living space, renovating the bathroom and adding a walk-in shower, and more.
“Before I was picked, I fell into a deep depression. I could no longer work, and I had a back injury so I could barely walk. It was important to stay in the house. I had a porch to rock on but nothing else,” explained Greene. “After, I felt nothing but joy. I was ecstatic when they called me and told me I was picked.”
Greene was most proud of the improvements made to her bedroom that used to feel like a small space and is now big enough to be her main living quarters. She admitted she still has no clue how they turned her bedroom into something so big without altering the home but is forever grateful for her new space.
“It now feels like a home. I love being here.
It’s mine,” said Greene.
“The work they did was fantastic.”
Homeowner Zim West expressed eager excitement to show off his home as well. Originally built in 1970, it was seeing the effects of old age and despite still having charm, West knew it wasn’t up to code and needed major improvements. He applied for the CHIP grant in hope of bringing his home up to code.
“I am disabled and haven’t worked since 1991,” said West. “When I applied Mr. (Kendrick) Butts came and informed me in person that I was selected. I was so excited and started calling my family to let them know that change was on the way.”
Like Greene, West spends most of his time at home. He lives alone and spends his time helping the community in small ways from cooking to offering a little kindness to local strays in the area.
His home’s improvements include new doors, new gutters, painting, new flooring and a water heater in the utility room, new windows and screens, and much more.
“It feels so homey. It’s beautiful,” said West. “It’s a blessing to get all of this done and all we have to do is stay home and live in this beautiful space.”
West has lived in his house for 16 years and said it always felt like home, but the improvements have made it feel more ‘homey’ and modern.
The improvements even inspired him to work on parts of the house that were not covered by the grant, including designing the look of his front porch to match the new paint and working with his brother to upgrade the second bathroom in his home.
“I may be on dialysis, but I don’t give up. You can’t help what happens to you. I live life to be happy,” said West. “I applied for this grant because I didn’t have the funds to do everything my home needed, and I was blessed to be one of the first eight to be selected.
It’s always a great thing when your local government can support you like this.”
Tobar explained that each CHIP grant has a tight turn around with homes being completed in about a two-year span for each grant cycle. He estimates six to eight houses will be completed for the 2024 CHIP grant cycle.
“This is by far the most rewarding part of the job. The county is able to help people in need and revitalize these homes and their surrounding neighborhoods,” said Tobar.