- With Carter's commitment to affordable housing, Valdosta's Jimmy Carter Drive neighborhood was established nearly 20 years ago.
- 80-85% of the residents still live in the homes built by the Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP).
- Habitat for Humanity's 'sweat equity' program required homeowners to contribute labor in building their homes.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Not every town has a Jimmy Carter Drive, but Valdosta does. I'm your Valdosta neighborhood reporter, Malia Thomas.
We're standing in the middle of a neighborhood that's stood for nearly 20 years. But without Jimmy Carter's commitment to provide housing for lower-income families, this neighborhood might not even exist.
The Executive Director of the Valdosta-Lowndes Habitat says those chosen to get the homes still had to be able to afford the mortgage.
He tells ABC27 that about 80 to 85 percent of people who moved into the homes built by the JCWP are still in them. Many are nearing the point where they'll have paid off their mortgages.
"You hear about mental health these days everywhere. Well, one of the biggest foundations for mental health is a stable family life, a stable home, in a neighborhood that's safe." And that's the stability Jimmy Carter and hundreds of workers came to build in Valdosta back in 2003.
28 homes went up. John H. Merriweather, Junior was just one of the dozens approved to move in, but they had to put in the work to earn it.
"Like making deliveries for Habitat, building the frame of the housing. "Whatever we were called on to do."
Building up sweat equity, alongside workers like the project's construction manager, Michael Eddington.
"Homebuilding is my profession, but I do this because it benefits the community." Who says former President Carter wasn't just there for show. "He was very vigorous. He cut some lumber. He hammered some nails. He put on siding."
Also hammering out the future of this neighborhood was future mayor James Matheson. "This gift that dropped in our lap back in the early 2000s was during the middle of a pretty decent revitalization effort in this town called the Weed and Seed program.
It was doing a pretty good job of identifying substandard housing and doing a revitalization effort." Volunteers even came from other countries to pitch in. "A guy from Germany that came. I call him my German brother."
When all was done, Mr. Carter presented Merriweather, his wife, and their two sons with a signed bible and an American flag to grace the place. "Because of those people loving us enough to sacrifice their time, their energy, their family vacation, it's gonna last."
