Franklin – A $1 million project that partners say has been years in the making, will bring more housing when construction begins next month.

The St Mary Hope Apartments – a housing initiative of the Louisiana Housing Corporation, the St Mary Vermilion Community Action Agency and Agape Community Services, have formed a partnership to offer affordable rental housing to the elderly in Franklin.

Guienzy Brent, Chairman of Agape Community Services Project, an offshoot of the Lighthouse Missionary Baptist Church of Franklin, said the project has been in the making since 2019.

“Initially, there will be four apartment type homes built from the ground up, to be affordable rental housing for the elderly. There will be a screen application process coming forth, and we’re going to encourage those who are 60 years of age or older to apply,” Brent said.

“All of the pieces of this project are in order. Once these four homes are built, then we’re going to build four more. This is going to have an incredibly positive impact to the City of Franklin,” Brent said.

Rev. Allen Randle, Pastor of the Lighthouse Missionary Baptist Church, said the homes will be built on the church’s 14 acre property.

“Psalm 133 says, ‘Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.’ That unity, that togetherness is powerful, and this is a very powerful moment,” Randle said.”

“The productivity of this project has come as a result of unity. Entities coming together, to make it happen for those who need it most.”

The Louisiana Housing Corporation awarded $949,887 to the project, Executive Director Marjorianna Willman said.

“LHC’s HOME rental housing program provides loans to affordable developers to build, buy, or rehabilitate affordable housing,” Willman said.

“And it is a reward for us to work with the St. Mary Vermillion Community Action Agency on this project. They are leaders in their community and are making a difference in the affordable housing industry. We are proud of their success as a CHDO, which stands for community housing development organization partner, and this project is a prime example of what LHC strives to do across the state.”

Almetra J Franklin, CEO of the St Mary Vermilion Community Action Agency, said once the initial four homes are completed, then four more will be constructed, and when those are finished, four more will be constructed.

“I’m so excited about this project. This project almost fell a couple of times, but when God is in the plans, nothing can fall. This is needed in the community,” Franklin said.

St. Mary Parish Councilman Rev. Craig Mathews said the Aug 2nd groundbreaking was a monumental accomplishment for the parish.

“We are so blessed to have a CHODO right here in our parish. That special designation gives us a green light and a gateway to developing affordable housing here. We need our local government officials to get on board to gain a full understanding and working knowledge of the advantages that are afforded to us for having a CHODO,” Mathews said.

“We can get an immediate set aside of home dollars from HUD, to develop affordable housing and move the needle forward in creating home ownership for our community, so that we can begin at attract economic development. We cannot put the cart before the horse,” he said.

“We have to have places for people to live. Safe, decent and affordable housing should be available to everyone. We’re on the brink of that with St Mary Community Action’s work in our parish, as a CHODO.”

Mathews is also the director of SMILE, the St Martin, Iberia, and Lafayette Community Action Agency. He said SMILE is also a CHODO for all three parishes.

“We’re learning from this CHODO, St Mary Community Action Agency, on how to develop these projects. We’re looking forward to expanding our reach.”

Jeff Beverly, Housing Director of the St Mary Community Action Agency, said Expert Maintenance and Construction LLC of New Iberia will construct the project.

“Elderly families will have housing. We have a major shortage of homes for the elderly in St Mary Parish,” Beverly said.

St. Mary Parish President Sam Jones, said he wants to congratulate and thank the members of the Lighthouse Missionary Baptist Church, for, “making strides to bring our town of Franklin and our parish back by building new houses.”

“The losses in the parish over the last several years have been devastating. We have jobs that need to be filled and houses and accommodations that need to be constructed and we invite anyone to come forward and to help in our recovery,” Jones said.

Other partners contributing to the affordable housing project include the City of Franklin, First National Bank of Jeanerette, Ardoin Architecture, and the Law Offices of Landry, Watkins, Repaske & Breaux.