VALDOSTA— The fight for affordable housing led Local, state, and federal officials to join IDP Properties and the Valdosta Housing Authority on Thursday to celebrate the grand opening of Harvest Station.

The 80-unit affordable housing development is located at the intersection of South Troup Street and Griffin Avenue. The event also marked the official groundbreaking for Phase Two, which will double the total number of units to 160 when complete.

The ribbon cutting comes at the start of National Affordable Housing Month, highlighting a major step forward in addressing the affordable housing crisis. Built on land once occupied by aging tobacco warehouses, the development has transformed the site into a vibrant residential community, offering one, two, and three-bedroom apartments.

Harvest Station was made possible through a strategic public-private partnership between IDP Properties and the Valdosta Housing Authority, with the City of Valdosta contributing over $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds toward land acquisition and development financing.

“It is affordable housing,” said Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson during the ceremony. “It’s the problem nobody can solve across the country, and we’re solving it.”

Construction on Phase Two is expected to begin within 60 days. Once finished, the full development will offer 160 affordable units designed to serve working families and seniors across South Georgia.

“This project here is the product of strong collaboration between all levels of government and private partners,” said Rey Benitez, Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff. “Today’s event is a perfect example of how local, state, and federal government can put partisanship aside and work together to improve the quality of life for families and strengthen communities.”

Designed by Valdosta-based IPG Architects and constructed by Great Southern Contractors, more than half of the project’s subcontractors are from the South Georgia area. 

Rhett Holmes, president of IDP Properties, stressed the critical need for affordable housing, citing rising construction costs, insurance rates, and interest rates as major barriers. 

“Every city we work in, every town, every community, there’s a lack of affordable housing,” Holmes said. “There are dire consequences for families when there’s not affordable housing, because it impacts the rest of their lives.”