Birmingham Land Bank breaks ground on 25 NEW homes in Fountain Heights

On Friday, June 7, the Birmingham Land Bank broke ground on the first of 25 new homes in the Birmingham neighborhood of Fountain Heights.

Creating a path to homeownership in Fountain Heights

Last year, the Birmingham Land Bank Authority launched its Accelerated Home Ownership Program (AHOP) pilot program in the neighborhood of Fountain Heights.

Its goal? To help 25 residents of Fountain Heights become owners of newly-built, quality homes.

“Everyone deserves a home; from the student who’s temporarily renting an apartment, the young family who decides to buy a home and the unsheltered.

The Accelerated Home Ownership Program was born out of the board’s desire to do something impactful with the lots that we own throughout the city; something meaningful that we can stand by for years to come.”

Caroline Douglas, Executive Director, Birmingham Land Bank

The AHOP program is a collaborative effort between the Birmingham Land Bank, SouthPoint Bank and minority-owned construction companies QS Construction, LLC and PCA Group, LLC.

The groundbreaking was hosted at 1138 12th Ct N, the future location of one of the 25 homes in the AHOP program.

“I read somewhere that God doesn’t make any more land; so if you have any, hold on to it because it is precious.

To me, this event is about reclaiming, reinvesting in and repurposing our communities. I hope that the legacy we leave here today is a better quality of life for those future generations who come after us.”

Alabama Senator Linda Coleman-Madison, Senate District 20

Today’s groundbreaking is a welcome respite for residents of Fountain Heights, who have for too long dealt with uncaring landlords that allow their properties to fall into decay.

In fact, it wasn’t until relatively recently that a law was passed to allow cities to cut back rampant overgrowth on private property.

“When slumlords and absentee owners allow their property to go to the wayside, that hurts community, affects property value and hurts neighborhood pride.

We want to go vertical on these empty lots with more single-family, affordable homes that residents in this community deserve.”

Mayor Randall Woodfin

Building community, not just homes

In addition to speakers from local and state government, Friday’s groundbreaking was punctuated by remarks from Bonderia Lyons, a resident of Fountain Heights and President of the Fountain Heights Neighborhood Association.

“This is an opportunity to reimagine Fountain Heights and rebuild it into the historic community that it once was. This is an opportunity to get sidewalks repaved. This is an opportunity to have new lighting in our community. This is an opportunity to have safer neighborhoods and a diverse community.

Let’s dream together and be active and engaged residents to help rebuild our community.”

Bonderia Lyons, President, Fountain Heights Neighborhood Association

Excited to see 25 new homes coming to Fountain Heights? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know your thoughts!