Housing office opens in Murray

Published 11:47 pm Thursday, August 28, 2008

CHATSWORTH — A new office in Murray County has opened to assist families with housing needs, whether they be first-time homebuyers or homeowners facing foreclosure — or homelessness.

Belle Anne Butler, a Ramhurst native who has traveled the world teaching the English language, will now head a satellite office of the Dalton-Whitfield Community Development Corp. The office is inside the Murray County Recreation Department on Hyden Tyler Road.

“We’ll be recognizing resources (in the county and area) and referring residents to those resources,” she said, adding that she also would like to see a housing council organized in Murray to address issues. “With the current housing crisis involving foreclosures, we also need to build up emergency funds.”

The purpose of the agency is “to acquire and maintain safe and decent housing for all citizens,” according to the Web site (www.dwcdc.org). Aside from helping families facing foreclosure, Butler will also be walking first-time homebuyers through the process of finding a real estate agent to represent them, obtaining funding, and budgeting to keep a home from going into foreclosure.

“The applicant’s credit has to be OK to get program help,” she advised, “but we can also help clients with credit repair and counseling.”

Other plans include a homebuyer’s seminar once a month, and helping clients see if they qualify for down payment assistance through resources such as the Community Home Improvement Program grant, funded through the federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agency.

“Low-interest loans will be available to households within a certain income, and they have to show an unmet need,” said Gaile Jennings, executive director of Community Development.

“With more people laid off and homes getting foreclosed on, the need gets greater,” said Michelle Smith, director of information and referral for United Way of Northwest Georgia. “Many of our families do not know how to budget or save, so they need help in learning how to do that also. We’re excited about the possibilities with the new Murray office.”

The Murray office is open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. It is recommended that clients call (706) 695-7359, ext. 2 to set up an appointment.



Housing seminar

A housing seminar will be in Murray County Friday and Saturday, Sept. 22-23, in the conference room of the Murray County Recreation Department and is open to the public. Hours are 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. There is no cost to attend, and the seminar can also be provided in Spanish. To pre-register, call (706) 876-1630.