Dublin Housing Authority to demolish, rebuild 150 apartments. Here’s what will improve for residents.

For years, residents of Dublin Housing Authority apartments have waited for some good news about where they live. Things are now falling into place, and within the next year and a half, there will be 150 brand new units for the Vinson Village area.

“We started having meetings with the residents in 2024,” said DHA executive director Brenda Smith. “The process has taken longer from what we anticipated. I think I started telling them then to pack up their things and not wait until the last minute. At our last resident council meeting, I had some people tell me that their stuff had been packed up for a long time.” 

The DHA, in partnership with Sepia Transformation Partners, will lead the redevelopment of Vinson Village, an affordable housing initiative serving low-income families not far from downtown Dublin. Smith said this project is part of the Housing and Urban Development Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program which will see the DHA repositioning 150 existing public housing units into modern, high-quality, energy-efficient homes under long-term Project-Based Section 8 contracts. 

In all, the entire project’s cost will be approximately $42.1 million.

Through the work, residents will continue paying 30 percent of their income toward rent, which will ensure long-term affordability. In 2024, DHA hired Sepia to help them redevelop Vinson Village, which was built by HUD in 1951. 

“The thing that we liked about them was that they were a different type of development company,” Smith said. “Sepia made the application to the Department of Community Affairs for the tax credit and we were awarded $24 million. This will demolish 150 units in Vinson Village and replace them with new development.”

The most asked question for Smith has been where will the families go while their unit is being demolished and rebuilt. 

“That is usually the first question we get,” she said. “In this RAD program residents return to the properties. It also has a very stringent relocation plan. When our units are vacant, we’ll start placing a certain number, and we’re not going to tear them all down at one time. They will be done in phases.”

The redevelopment will replace three obsolete public housing sites in Vinson Village, Vinson Village Extension and Claxton Homes located on West Mary Street. In all, there will be 26 one-bedroom, 80 two-bedroom, 38 three-bedroom and six four-bedroom homes. The construction will incorporate new HVAC, plumbing, electrical systems, energy-efficient appliances and improved site infrastructure, including enhanced traffic flow, safety improvements and upgraded parking and landscaping. 

When it comes to moving, there is money set aside to pack and move the residents. 

“We are hoping now that we have the financial parts together to move forward,” Smith said. “We shared our initial plans with the city of Dublin because we want everybody’s partnership and buy-in. We had meetings with the city and showed them initial plans, allowing them to give us their ideas of what would make a safer environment.” 

On June 4, the Dublin City Council approved a resolution to authorize funding for the project in order to finalize the site plan and move closer to its construction.

“This is a major project, and those are very old units that aren’t in great shape,” Dublin Mayor Joshua Kight said during the meeting.

Smith agreed they want the rebuilt Vinson Village to be safer than the current version.

“Presently, there are six streets that lead in and out of here,” she said. “That has caused problems with criminal aspects. With the city’s buy-in, we were able to do a blueprint that had only two access to the properties.” 

The DHA offices, community center, library, benevolent center and maintenance building will be demolished.

“We hope those will be rebuilt or relocated,” Smith said. “The Verline Copenny Center will be added on to. It is the only building that will be kept.” 

Smith likes Community Construction LLC’s work, and if the company stays with what the DHA has seen so far, the finished product “will not look like public housing,” she said.

“It will be a big and tremendous upgrade. We are hoping to develop a new mindset for the residents who will be occupying the homes. The management will take an even greater approach in helping people to understand the obligations they have once they sign the lease.”