A foundation for the future: Habitat secures land for eight new homes

DEMOREST, Ga. — After more than a year of searching for the right property, Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Georgia has secured its next development site. The nonprofit recently purchased a 16-acre tract at 257 Iris Drive in Demorest where it plans to build eight Habitat homes over the next several years.

The site is located along Highway 115 near the new roundabout, Groundbreaking is scheduled for January 2027. The development will serve as Habitat’s primary construction site through early 2029.

For Executive Director Brian Young, the purchase represents the culmination of a lengthy search and a strategic investment in the communities Habitat serves.

Habitat is only months away from completing its current development on Rockford Creek Road in Clarkesville. Later this month, volunteers will break ground on Habitat House No. 85, the seventh and final home planned for that neighborhood. The home is expected to be completed in January 2027, when construction efforts will shift to the Iris Drive property.

The new location was carefully chosen to benefit families in both Habersham and White counties.

A search that took more than a year

Habitat completed its last White County home in late 2024, but finding land to continue building there proved difficult.

“The search for land in White proved to be incredibly difficult given land development restrictions or requirements, many large tracks of land were already developer owned, the ever increasing cost of land and general availability of property,” Young said.

Rather than abandon its commitment to White County families, Habitat looked for a solution that would allow it to continue serving both communities.

“From a strategic planning perspective, the Iris Drive property fit perfectly,” Young said.
Located almost midway between Cleveland and Clarkesville, the site allows Habitat to recruit volunteers, coordinate construction and partner with supporters from both counties while keeping homes accessible to qualifying families throughout the service area.

Building more homes, more efficiently

The new development also builds on lessons learned from Habitat’s Rockford Creek neighborhood. That project was the organization’s first opportunity to build multiple homes side by side rather than scattered across different locations. Young said concentrating construction in one development has transformed how Habitat operates.

Building homes side by side “maximizes build efficiency, helps to minimize costs, more than doubles the amount of Habitat Homes that we can build each year which, in turn, allows us to provide safe, secure and affordable housing to more families in need living within the communities we serve,” Young said.

The Iris Drive property includes more than just future home sites. A newer mobile home and several outbuildings sit on approximately 1½ acres in one corner of the property. Habitat plans to sell that portion of the tract, with all proceeds going directly back into the development to help offset construction costs for the new homes.

A new chapter begins

Young said the purchase also comes at an important time as Habitat begins accepting applications for future homeowners.

When he hosted a Habitat homebuyer workshop in Habersham County in May, the property had not yet closed, so he could not reveal where the organization’s next neighborhood would be built. By the time a similar workshop was held in White County in late June, the sale had been finalized.

That allowed him to share welcome news with prospective homeowners: Habitat’s next neighborhood would be positioned to serve families from both counties equally. The organization credited several community partners with helping make the purchase possible, including Weidner Law Firm, LLC for handling the closing and Fourth Mountain Real Estate, particularly board member and Realtor Teressa Holtzclaw, whose work helped guide the year-long property search.