City, Partners to Celebrate Completion of Dundee Cottages • Savannah Herald

SAVANNAH – The City of Savannah, alongside its partners, will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. to celebrate the completion of the Dundee Cottages housing development that features 39 new affordable cottages for individuals and families experiencing or transitioning out of homelessness or at risk of becoming unhoused.

Dundee Cottages, adjacent to The Cove at Dundee, is a transformative, cutting-edge housing development. It is the result of an innovative partnership between the City of Savannah, The Chatham Savannah Land Bank Authority (LBA), the Community Housing Services Agency (CHSA), CHSA Development, Inc., and the Chatham Savannah Authority for the Homeless (CSAH), driven by the Savannah Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF).

The 39 cottages will offer affordable rents ranging from $650 to $850 per month including utilities. Each cottage is furnished and features a kitchenette, bathroom, built-in bed, storage space, and front porch.

The new community also hosts a caretaker’s house and resident services building. The services building includes a computer lab, laundry facilities, a commercial kitchen, dining and meeting hall, and consultation rooms. On-site programming will feature service providers offering education, life skills, healthcare, and other support. 

As a part of the Housing Savannah Action Plan, adopted by City Council in 2021, the City of Savannah provided the vacant lot at 65 Dundee St., valued at $200,000, to the Land Bank Authority in 2022 to develop Dundee Cottages.

CHSA Development, Inc. was granted a long-term ground lease by the LBA and, serving as developer, oversaw the design and construction of the project. The City invested $3.5 million from SPLOST VII funds for the initial utility and roadway infrastructure that paved the way for construction of the cottages. The Chatham Savannah Authority for the Homeless (CSAH) is assuming the LBA ground lease and acquiring the completed property from CHSA Development Inc., furnishing the cottages, and will manage the site and coordinate resident services.

Dundee Cottages was completed at a total cost of $6,422,880 and funded through a mix of local public and private investments.

Dundee Cottages sits adjacent to the inaugural housing initiative, the Cove at Dundee. The Cove at Dundee, originally Savannah’s Veterans Tiny House Project, was Georgia’s first of its kind, led and operated by CSAH and has become a national model for housing veterans experiencing homelessness. With 46 tiny homes and community amenities, it has housed over 165 veterans.

What: Dundee Cottages Ribbon Cutting

When: Thursday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m.

Where: Dundee Cottages, 64 Dundee St.

About Savannah Chatham Authority for the Homeless (CSAH)

Established by the Georgia Legislature in 1989, CSAH is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit leading the charge to end homelessness in Chatham County. CSAH drives impact through three core pillars: effective street outreach via its Streets to Stability and Project Hope Water teams; system leadership and accountability as the operations of the Chatham Savannah Interagency Council on Homelessness, HUD Collaborative Applicant, ensuring data fidelity and transparency, Coordinated Entry system accessibility, and federal compliance; and innovative housing solutions that create deeply affordable, safe, quality homes for individuals and families exiting homelessness. Together with community partners, CSAH is building a future where homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring.

About the Community Housing Services Agency (CHSA)

CHSA, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and a community development financial institution (CDFI) serving Chatham County, Georgia.  Established in 1989, CHSA finances affordable and workforce housing solutions and administers numerous affordable housing funds including the Savannah Affordable Housing Fund. For decades, CHSA, Inc. has partnered with the City of Savannah, local banks, community organizations, and private stakeholders to deliver innovative housing programs, rehabilitation services, and financial assistance that help families achieve stability and economic mobility. To learn more, visit chsainc.org.

About CHSA Development, Inc.
Established in 1991, CHSA Development, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, a community housing development organization (CHDO), a community-based development organization (CBDO) and is the development arm of Community Housing Services Agency, Inc. (CHSA, Inc.), focused on creating and preserving high-quality, affordable and workforce housing opportunities. As a mission-driven developer, CHSA Development leads projects that revitalize communities and empower families. From single family homes for sale, affordable rental housing to mixed-use developments, CHSA Development is committed to innovation, inclusivity, and long-term community impact.

About the Chatham Savannah Land Bank Authority (LBA)

The Chatham County/City of Savannah Land Bank Authority, Inc. was created in 1993 under state legislation through an intergovernmental agreement between Chatham County and the City of Savannah for the purpose of acquiring properties that are vacant, abandoned, blighted and foreclosed and facilitating the return of those properties to a productive use, with an emphasis on the creation of affordable and workforce housing.  The Land Bank works in a collaborative effort with local government, non-profit and private partners and developers. and neighborhood communities to assist in the revitalization of neighborhoods in a manner consistent with local government plans and priorities.

 About the Savannah Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF)

The SAHF was established in 2012 as a local affordable and workforce housing fund consisting of money raised from local government, businesses, philanthropies, individuals, and others.  It is used to help improve housing opportunities and living conditions for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, transitioning out of homelessness, or at risk of becoming unhoused along with assisting low- and modest-income renters, homeowners, and homebuyers in need of affordable housing. 

About the Housing Savannah Action Plan

The Housing Savannah Action Plan, developed by a local citizen task force in 2021, calls for donations to the SAHF to increase to more than $10,000,000 annually by 2032.  These investments are projected to leverage another roughly $90,000,000 annually.  Together they will help improve housing opportunities and conditions for more than 1,500 households annually.

Development Information for Dundee Cottages

• City of Savannah: Provided surplus land, funded infrastructure improvements through SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax), and approved the use of funds it contributed to the SAHF for building construction and site improvements.
• Land Bank Authority (LBA): Received the improved site from the City and provided a transferable long-term ground lease to CHSA Development.
• CHSA, Inc.: Loaned CHSA Development SAHF and other funds for building and site improvements.
• CHSA Development, Inc.: Engaged the services of GM Shay Architects and KJS General Contractor to carry out its roleas project developer.
• CSAH: Acquired the completed buildings and site improvements from CHSA Development with SAHF and other associated financing, furnished the cottages with volunteer support, and now manages the site and coordinates resident services.
• City Land Value: $200,000
• City SPLOST (Infrastructure): $3,539,400
• SAHF (Building Construction): $2,197,591
• CHSA (Building Construction): $485,889.