After 15 years on the waiting list for a new house, two Columbus sisters received free southside homes.
Columbus placed three women in new homes Monday thanks to the Mississippi Development Authority”s Home Investment Participation Program. A $237,000 grant from the state, along with a $60,000 match from the city, paid for the homes clustered along 23rd Street South and Fourth Avenue South.
“To wait 15 years was so impatient,” said Lula Rice, 65, who applied for the housing program in 1995. “I”ve got a lot of patience. But I claim mine through Jesus Christ.”
Rice”s sister, George Mae Taylor, 67, also relied on her faith while awaiting a new home. The sisters have lived on the corner of 23rd Street and Fourth Avenue South since 1945.
“I knew it was going to happen because God had a plan already,” said Taylor.
Taylor could have been excused for experiencing doubt during the last 15 years. After applying for the program, Travis Jones, Columbus director of federal programs, took pictures of the sisters” homes and traveled to Jackson on a regular basis to resubmit the homes for replacement.
“Mr. Jones would come every year and take pictures. The house was in bad shape. It didn”t look that bad until I seen the pictures,” said Rice. “He would go to Jackson and try every year and would say ”We didn”t get it then. You”re just going to have to be patient and wait.””
Laura Cockrell, 89, who received a home on 23rd Street Monday, admits she had given up hope on receiving her new home. Her 11 children will take turns staying with and caring for their mother.
The Home Investment Participation Program is designed to benefit neighborhoods rather than individual houses. Recipients must own their homes, have lived in the home for at least a year and the home must exhibit major deficiencies in areas such as flooring, roofing, plumbing, electrical systems or heating systems. But several homes in a several-block radius must meet the criteria at the same time for an area to receive the grant.
“The idea is to bring up a whole neighborhood instead of just a scattered site,” said Jones. “Whenever they can do a whole block to clean up a slum or blight areas, I think (MDA is) trying to achieve their purpose that way.”
“If you looked at the condition (of the homes) prior to construction, it”s just a blessing,” said Mayor Robert Smith on Monday after turning the keys over to Cockrell.
The recipients” former houses were demolished and the new homes built on the same lots.
Ward 1 Councilman Gene Taylor has been a regular visitor to homes of all three home recipients.
“It”s a great experience and a good feeling, knowing you”re able to do something for someone. Especially if they”re elderly or disabled,” said Taylor. “To provide this service has made this job worthwhile.”
Construction contracts on the homes were awarded in April.
“They didn”t get (the homes) at Thanksgiving, but will be able to do a nice Christmas dinner,” said Smith.
Columbus was last awarded the Home Investment Participation Program grant in 1999.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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