Macon receiving federal housing money

Federal dollars will help Macon tear down blighted homes and get foreclosed properties off the market.
In 2008 Congress passed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act. Four-billion dollars of the money was doled out to states hit hard by the foreclosure crisis.
Cities like Augusta, Atlanta, Columbus and Savannah qualified to receive part of those funds, but Macon did not, according to the Director of Neighborhood Stabilization for the City of Macon, Jesse Gerwig-Moore.

"The state received in total from HUD about 155-million. About half of that amount, around 74-million or so, went directly to the entitlement communities who already received community development block grant funds and that's where Macon fell below the 2-million dollar threshold."

The city remained undeterred and applied for a 4-million dollar grant from HUD. They were approved this week. The city will use the money to tear down blighted homes and provide down payment assistance to those who purchase foreclosed properties.