The Helm's Place Housing Development will consist of more than 80 new townhouses along Farish street, contributing to the ongoing revitalization campaign within the Capitol City.
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba says programs like these are good for the area.
"I think this is a good opportunity." said Lumumba. "I've seen a number of these developments, the ones in South Jackson and Flag Chapel Estates, and they're working out very well. This is vital to a growing economy. We have to have places for people to live, and they have to be affordable places."
While the homes are meant for low-income families, they are not typical government subsidized housing. Instead, they are built and financed through state and federal tax credits making the homes cheaper to build, and therefore cheaper to rent. Clarence Chapman is with Chartre Consulting -- the group responsible for developing and administering the area.
"We provide market-rate homes, and put low-income residents in them." said Chapman. "It's really a market rate affordable housing development. Our residents have to pay rent. It is not a subsidized rent. It's just a lower rent that they get a quality home for because of the tax credits."
The project is also tied to Governor Phil Bryant's Mississippi Medical Corridor Initiative, a program designed to attract more healthcare jobs and professionals to the state.
"These are homes nurses can afford." said Bryant. "These are not government housing, these are tax credit homes that are affordable that we hope medical assistants, law enforcement, even teachers will be able to come to this medical corridor -- this revitalization of Downtown Jackson."
Officials say they hope to have the first families moving into the housing by the end of November.
