Joe Wright Village homes work hit temp slowdown

Thefts and lack of brick workers cited for hold up.

The theft of copper wiring and plumbing fixtures from several of the construction sites at Joe Wright Village is just one of two setbacks for the public housing community in North Rome. A shortage of masonry workers that has upped the prices for brick work has also impacted progress on five buildings in the upscale, gated public housing community.

Norman Pleger, director of technical services for the Northwest Georgia Housing Authority, said work on five additional buildings has slowed down but told the NWGHA Board of Directors he is still hopeful for a fall completion of the second phase of the public housing community.

At that time, four single-family homes will have been built along with five duplex buildings. Six of the first nine units that have been completed are occupied.

When the entire community is complete, Pleger said there would be eight singlefamily homes and 10 duplex units, a total of 28 residential units. Pleger said the full build-out is probably five years down the road and is dependent on funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

All of the single family homes are clustered at the east side of the complex while the duplex homes are on the west side, closer to downtown.

The housing authority board did get good news from Finance Director Tammy Morrow who explained that operating subsidies from HUD were not going to be reduced this year. However, HUD officials do expect reductions in the future, according to Morrow

Sarah Bradfield, NWGHA GED program director, told the board the program should find out before the end of the month if it will be funded for a second year in spite of the fact that it has not met all of the goals that were outlined in the original grant request. Thus far only two adults have earned their diploma, however Bradfield said several other students are close to finishing the program.

“It’s adult literacy, but it’s also a little bit of parenting and a little bit of life skills,” Bradfield. “The program currently has seen 15 and 20 attendees on a daily basis but only two participants have completed the program and received their GED in the past year. We’re working hard on recruitment and retention and making our instruction relevant,” Bradfield said