Construction is near completion on two homes being built in a partnership between the Pine Bluff Urban Renewal Agency and Home Again Pine Bluff.
“This is our first step,” said Chandra Griffin, executive director of the Urban Renewal Agency, of two identical homes under construction at West 33rd Avenue and Plum Street in Pine Bluff. “Our intentions, among others, have always been to facilitate new home construction in the city.”
The lots were donated to the city and made available to Urban Renewal, which partnered with Home Again Pine Bluff, a local nonprofit based on the Christian principles of meeting community needs, to finance and build the homes, according to Griffin.
The homes, expected to be ready for occupancy in late April, have 1,250 square feet of heated and cooled space plus attached garages. The structures include three bedrooms and two baths and are energy-efficient, said Rob Withers, director of Home Again.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“They have ceiling fans, upscale kitchen appliances, granite countertops and many other amenities that make for a nice family home,” he said.
The houses are specifically designed for narrow frontage lots.
“Pine Bluff has many lots with this configuration, so this floor plan is perfect for new construction at a lot of locations in the city,” Griffin said.
While anyone can buy the homes, Withers said they’d like to see them go to teachers or first responder families.
“We will provide a small grant to a teacher or first responder … to work or teach in Pine Bluff and live in the city,” Withers said.
The homes will be on the market for $155,000 each.
“That’s pretty well our cost. Our program is more like a ministry to address a problem than a typical for-profit developer. Our bottom line is to put families in their own homes,” Withers said.
Matt Mosler is pastor of New Life Church in Pine Bluff and founder of Home Again Pine Bluff.
“No one at HAPB takes a salary for our work,” Mosler said. “All the money from the sale of one home goes right into building or remodeling of the next home.”
One of the mortgage financing options will be the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, yet Employed) program, which is a 97% to 100% financing option administered by Simmons Bank, Relyance Bank and Go Forward Pine Bluff, according to Ryan Watley, chief executive officer of Go Forward.
The program makes favorable mortgage financing available to families with steady jobs who pay their bills but have credit scores that fall under the minimum requirements for traditional mortgage financing.
“These are good, hard-working, trustworthy folks who are good candidates for long-term financing,” Watley said. “Our program makes up the difference in helping them get their own homes. More than 40 families have taken advantage of the option since February of 2022 and more are on the waiting list as properties become available.”
FB&T Bank and Mortgage in Pine Bluff is providing financing for the project.
“We’re pleased to help in this worthwhile project,” said Scott Ray, executive vice president and director of community outreach for FB&T in Jefferson County. “It’s in everyone’s best interest to improve housing opportunities in our community.”
Langston Construction of Pine Bluff is the contractor for the homes.
“The houses fit on the lots well and the floor plan makes maximum use of the floor space. They have a nice, roomy and welcoming feeling,” said Jared Langston, owner of the company.