Family Promise’s Transitional Housing initiative has reached its first milestone. Later this month, a family will move into one of the homes procured and restored as part of the program.

Last year, the nonprofit organization entered into a partnership with the City of Savannah and the Land Bank Authority, through which Family Promise became the owners of two single-family homes on Cumming Street to use as housing options for the families who graduate from Family Promise’s programs. They’re now in proceedings to acquire a third home.

Shortly after acquiring the first two houses, Family Promise Executive Director Katrina Bostick said her team realized one of them would need to be totally rebuilt. At first, they’d just planned on an intensive rehab project, but contractors said the house couldn’t be saved. The other home required extensive updates and repairs but was fixable. That home is now fully restored and will soon provide shelter to a family that successfully completed Family Promise’s program, designed to lift families out of homelessness and keep them in stable housing.

To commemorate the occasion, Family Promise is holding an open house to give its board members, volunteers, stakeholders and other supporters an opportunity to view the rehabilitated home.

“We are so happy to open our first Transitional Housing home and welcome a hardworking, deserving family into it,” Bostick said. “To be able to do this for our program graduates right now means everything. The real estate and rental markets are fiercely competitive, and reasonably priced housing is tough to come by, so our Transitional Housing program is truly an answer to many prayers. We thank everyone who is helping us bring this project to life.”

The house requiring a complete rebuild is still under construction, but crews are making headway. Once Family Promise acquires the third property, they will eventually use all three single-family homes as Transitional Housing.

As Family Promise continues to expand the Transitional Housing initiative, they are looking for support from the community in the shape of volunteer workers willing to help fix up the houses or through monetary donations.

Anyone who is interested in volunteering to help Family Promise fix up their new homes or in making a donation can learn more by visiting www.familypromisece.org/transitional-housing, calling  912-790-9446, or emailing [email protected].

For more information on Family Promise, please visit www.familypromisece.org and follow the organization on its social media, including Facebook and Instagram.