PINE BLUFF, Ark. — Nationwide the housing market continues to be a challenging place.
It can be especially challenging for those who have been looking to become first-time home buyers.
However, a nonprofit organization in Pine Bluff has been actively looking to help while also investing in the community.
On Monday, Home Again Pine Bluff held a groundbreaking ceremony on Belair and Auburn Drive to announce that there are 34 new homes that will soon be built on that lot.
Founder of Home Again Pine Bluff, Matt Mosler, explained how these new homes will be available for anyone, but their main goal is to attract teachers and first responders.
Any teachers and first responders moving into these homes will be given a $20,000 grant to get a kick start on their equity. However, accepting this will require them to teach or serve in Pine Bluff for at least three years.
"Our hope is that we begin to repopulate our schools, [and] rebuild our schools because it's hard to attract businesses. It's hard to attract families, it's hard to attract people to this community when the schools have been in tough shape and they've been in tough shape for a while," Mosler described.
Pine Bluff Mayor-elect Vivian Flowers was at Monday's ceremony and she shared how this project aligns with what she has been advocating for since day one.
"I ran on the priorities of youth, public safety, and economic development, with an economic development focus on infrastructure and our tourism footprint. There is no better way to start a foundation by adding 34 homes," Flowers added.
Mosler explained that he hasn't seen the land that their organization purchased be occupied in almost 20 years, adding that it will be a nice change to see it with new life and purpose.
"The rental rate in Pine Bluff is well above 60% and so if I don't own my house, I don't own my community, I don't own my city, but if I own my house, and I know that everything I do to that house is going to increase its value, it's going to increase my generation of wealth," he said. "Then I want to make sure I keep that house up because it's an appreciating asset."
This project was 100% donor funded, and grant funded. Most of their money came out of FBT bank in Dallas County.
Mosler said that over time they have helped their organization with close to $2 million since they first began in 2018.
Home Again Pine Bluff is asking for material donations of wood, concrete, and more.
Mosler says the project will be done in phases. The first one will consist of three homes being built by next year and then will continue to follow that pattern.