Developer says new modular homes will fill city’s desperate need for affordable housing

ATLANTA — Atlanta is in desperate need of affordable housing and one developer has a solution to help some of the city’s low-income communities.

Channel 2’s Dave Huddleston went out to the Vine City/English Avenue neighborhood, where there is lots of new construction going on – mainly with modular homes.

"Modular is a word that has a lot of prejudices associated with it. People think it’s mobile homes or trailers, and for the longest time it was. But it is no longer a synonym for cheap construction or shoddy construction,” said developer Cecil Phillips

Huddleston watched as construction crews placed a modular home on its foundation, taking only two days to construct.

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Phillips said Atlanta is in need of affordable housing, and his modular homes aren't made with cheap materials.

"There is a market above mobile homes and trailers that you need to accommodate, and that means you need to use better quality and give your customer more choice," Phillips said.

Phillips is putting five modular homes throughout Vine City/English Avenue. They cost between $140,000 and $210,000.

Amber Chaney works in the area and walked outside to watch the process. She had no problem with the homes being built in the neighborhood.

"It looks like they are working hard to put it on a good foundation. I’ve been watching the process since I drove up and they are being very steady and it looks very stable to me," Chaney told Huddleston.

"We want our police force, our firemen and women, our teachers, our Grady hospital workers, our servers to live inside the city for diversity and all sorts of reasons. But if they can’t afford to, they can’t live here," Phillips said.

The five modular homes will be ready for sale or rent by Invest Atlanta by the end of February.

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