Gospel Assembly Church cuts ribbon on housing units

Terrebonne Parish officials and Gospel Assembly Church members celebrate the ribbon cutting on Thursday.

Gospel Assembly Church-Houma and the Terrebonne Parish Council officially opened a housing development at 1310 Acadian Drive in Houma Thursday.

Several Parish Council members as well as the church administration were on hand for the ribbon cutting.

The two duplex buildings are part of a push by the council to develop affordable housing for moderate- to low-income area families. To date, the council has set aside $10 million in Community Development Block Grant money for housing developments, with $3 million going to redevelopment housing.

Of the $3 million allotted for redevelopment housing, $1.5 million was awarded to the Houmas Gospel Assembly Church.

Darrel Waire, parish Housing and Human Services director, said the parish had stipulations on the types of organizations that would receive these projects.

It was done in a way that funding was only given through nonprofits, Waire said.

Gospel Assembly Pastor Lee Brown says the two duplex buildings, contracted through Houmas BDC Construction Inc., are only part of a larger push by the church for affordable housing.

He said the $1.5 million awarded the church has toward 11 housing units, including the four apartments in the duplex buildings. The seven remaining units are renovated houses throughout Terrebonne Parish.

The total cost of the apartment construction was roughly $508,000, while the allotment for the home renovations was roughly $150,000 each. But Brown said that didnt cover the cost.

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Gospel Assembly Church cuts ribbon on housing units