Community members gathered on the morning of Oct. 24 for a solar barn raising at Micah’s Creek, an affordable housing neighborhood currently under development in Athens. Volunteers lined up to pass three solar panels from one person to the next, before lifting the panels toward construction workers on the roof for installation.
Athens Area Habitat for Humanity hosted the event to celebrate the installation of solar panels and the progress of the neighborhood’s development.
Once completed, Micah’s Creek will feature 42 single-family homes, 11 tiny homes, and 15 two-bedroom homes for eligible families, veterans, artists, and young adults experiencing housing insecurity in the Athens area. The first 15 bungalows are designated for community members supported by Lydia’s Place.
Lydia’s Place nonprofit
Based in Watkinsville, Lydia’s Place is a nonprofit supporting young adults ages 17 to 24 who were in foster care or experienced housing insecurity. The organization helps them find stable housing, including 15 bungalows at Micah’s Creek, while they continue their education and work toward independence.
“For some of our students, the Lydia’s Place staff is all that they have to call when something goes awry,” said Executive Director Diane Brantley. “We’re giving these kids a hand up. We’re giving them the tools they need for them to be able to do it on their own instead of just doing it for them.”
The project also aims to lower residents’ energy costs. Through the Bright Homes Energy Initiative, Habitat and its partners are working to install solar panels and battery storage at 63 of the 68 homes planned for Micah’s Creek.
The systems are intended to lower electricity bills, store energy for later use and provide backup power during outages.
“This project demonstrates the value of solar energy, solar and batteries, and how they can offset a good portion of your energy consumption and lower your bills,” said Peter Hubbard, a Georgia public service commissioner.
Battery storage can also help residents maintain access to electricity during outages, extending the benefits beyond monthly savings.
“And if you pair them with batteries, then you can have power when the grid goes out and actually be a resource for your community,” said Hubbard. “People can come, recharge their phones or whatever if the power’s out.”
Solar barn raising event
Attendees at the Oct. 24 event learned about solar energy and the Bright Homes Energy Initiative through educational displays and a tour of a nearly completed home.
Spencer Frye, executive director of Athens Area Habitat for Humanity and a Georgia state representative, said the organization uses energy-efficient construction to help reduce expenses for homeowners.
The single-family homes are being built with insulated concrete forms, which Frye said are about 60% more energy-efficient than traditional construction. The material helps keep electricity bills lower. And the fire-resistant walls can also reduce insurance costs.
Combined with solar panels and battery storage, the energy-efficient construction is designed to make the homes more affordable to maintain over time.
“Every step, we’re putting more money back into the pockets of the families that are trying to live their lives and raise their kids,” Frye said.
Future homeowners help build
Future homeowner John Swain said lower costs could leave residents with more money for other needs.
“It’s going to be affordable. It’s going to be helpful. It cuts down on the cost of everything,” Swain said. “So the money you save, you can possibly put into a community with your kids, something that’s going to help and benefit you.”
Swain attends Saturday work days to help build the homes, as part of the homeownership process. The work days have allowed him to learn from people with different backgrounds, while helping build his future neighborhood.
“It’s one group, one team,” Swain said.
The solar barn raising reflected that same spirit of people coming together to support a shared goal. Members of the Classic City and Athens Rotary clubs, along with local leaders, volunteers, and project partners, gathered that day to celebrate the neighborhood’s progress.
Construction began just 14 weeks before the event, according to Frye. By Oct. 24, work was underway on 14 homes at Micah’s Creek, with Habitat continuing construction as it works toward completing the neighborhood.
He sees projects like this as a way to give young people a clearer path to home ownership, with the goal of lowering the median age of first-time homebuyers in Georgia from the 40s to the mid-20s.
Frye hopes Micah’s Creek will demonstrate how stable housing can improve educational and economic outcomes by making homeownership more accessible to younger generations.
“If you focus on a stable place for an individual to grow and thrive, those problems will take care of themselves automatically, and I really firmly believe that,” Frye said.
