The Bennett Group

Photos taken today (8/28/24) at The Magnolia in Aiken, SC. Creative Builders is “making hay while the sun shines,” with roof trusses going up now.

Freedom Village yesterday…

Oak Meadows in Oneonta, Alabama, was completely renovated in November, 2023. It offers affordable townhomes and garden apartments for 48 families. This development is a partnership of the Community Action Program of North Alabama, Inc., and The Bennett Group, LLC.

Construction was by Bob Morrow Construction Company, Inc. Architectural services were provided by Joel Peek.

Equity was provided by Regions Bank. The property is managed by The Hollyhand Companies.

Freedom Village, a unique design by Joel Peek Architect, is soon to be “dried-in.” For seniors 55+, this project is a partnership between the City of Montgomery and the Community Action Program of North Alabama (CAPNA). Many thanks to the construction team at Bob Morrow Construction Company; Keith Searcy, Superintendent, and Chris Sharbutt, Project Manager…and special thanks to David Turner at BMCC, long trusted for shepherding some of the most professional work done in the affordable housing space in Alabama and beyond. This one will be extraordinary!

More than 50 sweating, hard-working folks on site Tuesday at Trinity Ridge in Phenix City, Alabama. Rough-in is complete on this property for seniors 55+ and sheetrock is to be hung next week.
Our heartfelt thanks to Jeremy Teague, superintendent with Olympia Construction, and Adam Beaver, Project Manager, as they work to keep this project on schedule.

Construction progress has accelerated at Dunbar Court in Bryan, Georgia, after weather delays and soil issues. Many thanks to Katelyn Everhardt, Project Manager with Fairway Construction, and John Hargis, Superintendent. They and their team of subcontractors are doing very good work.

At the annual Scholarship Luncheon on Thursday, the Alabama Affordable Housing Association awarded 50 scholarships: 23 new ones and 27 renewals. Pictured are some of the recipients. We congratulate them and wish them well in this next step in their education!

The Village At Hixon Pond II in Ft.Payne is nearly complete. Nestled among the hills and just across the pond from phase I, are 56 senior apartments. All 2BR/2Bath.

We co-developed this property with the Community Action Partnership of North Alabama. We and they are grateful to the team at Olympia Construction, especially Mark Lacy, superintendent, who returned after building phase I to do an equally great job on this second phase.

Spring has sprung, and we invite anyone 55+ in the area to come take a look at this lovely spot to live.

We had a very warm and sunny day for our draw inspection at The Village at Hixon Pond II today in Ft. Payne, AL. Included here are some photos of the maturing lawns and Arborvitae at Phase I, as well as some “in progress“ photos of Phase II. The mountain setting is beautiful.

Many thanks to the team from Olympia Construction: Caleb Lea, Adam Beaver; superintendent, Mark Lacy; and the new assistant superintendent, Cohen Willoughby. 

A complete renovation of High Pine Apartments in Roanoke, Alabama, was completed in March of 2023. Many thanks to our partners on this development: ACHR - Alabama Council on Human Relations, Inc., Architect - Joel Peek, Contractor - Holland Commercial, Inc., Investor - CAHEC, Construction Lender - United Bank, and Housing Credit/Permanent Financing Lender - the Alabama Housing Finance Authority.

Renovations to Charleston Square in Troy, Alabama, are now complete!

Many thanks to our partners at The Community Action Programs of North Alabama (CAPNA); Joel Peek, architect; Bob Morrow Construction Company, Inc. (BMCC), contractor; CAHEC, investor; and the Alabama Housing Finance Authority (AHFA).

We’d like to especially thank Edwin Thompson, Chris Sharbutt and David Turner of BMCC for a job well done, ahead of schedule, Covid issues notwithstanding.

Join our friends, the Alabama Women's Affordable Housing Network - WAHN, on April 20th as they celebrate the arrival of spring with a WAHNderful Happy Hour & networking event! Register to reserve your spot soon!



Women's Affordable Housing Network-WAHN
Cindy Prater & Ann Marie Rowlett

WAHN Happy Hour Join us for Happy Hour and meet other women in the affordable housing industry.

Together we can forge women’s equality. Collectively we can all .

Congratulations to our friends at Community Action Partnership of North Alabama on the start of another new development here in Sweet Home Alabama! It's always a pleasure to work with Aron Boldog and his team as they strive to build and maintain some of the finest affordable housing communities in the state.

Pardon our progress! Olympia Construction has begun work on the second phase of the Village at Hixon Pond in Fort Payne.

A development originally approved for AHFA funding in 2020, Village at Hixon Pond II will create 56 units of safe, decent, affordable elderly housing and was financed in part by more than $2.7 million in HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds and more than $1.1 million in Low Income Housing Tax Credits--both administered in Alabama by AHFA.

This development was one of many that faced the material shortages, supply chain disruptions and fluctuating construction costs of a post-pandemic economy. Prior to the pandemic, the construction period for new multifamily rental properties receiving allocations of AHFA Housing Credit and HOME funding averaged 25 months from the time of the original allocation. Post-pandemic, completion of projects has slowed or completely stalled.

AHFA is working to protect the feasibility of all previously awarded projects within the statutory and regulatory constraints of the programs it administers. To that end, the granting of extensions, swapping of credits, and re-underwriting of previously awarded projects results in fewer awards in the current and upcoming competitive cycles.

Kudos to Olympia Construction, Inc., along with McKean & Associates and The Bennett Group, for overcoming these challenges to contribute to the supply of economical rental housing in the Fort Payne area. Keep on building!

Visit our website to learn more about our affiliation with the Women's Affordable Housing Network-WAHN and the Alabama Women's Affordable Housing Network - WAHN!

News - The Bennett Group The Bennett Group Sponsors Women’s Affordable Housing NetworkJanuary 4, 2023/in Front Page News, NewsThe Bennett Group, LLC, is a proud sponsor and ally of the Women’s Affordable Housing Network (WAHN), an organization committed to the empowerment and development of women who work in affordable ...

REGISTER FOR FREE for the Women's Affordable Housing Network-WAHN ALLY Committee Launch! What's the Ally Committee? A committee of WAHN Allies who take active roles in their organizations or in the industry as a whole to invite women to the table.

Our own Fred Bennett will be attending and would love to have you join, along with other Allies in the industry!

WAHN Ally Committee Launch We are excited to launch the Women's Affordable Housing Network Ally Committee! We also want to celebrate our first Active Ally Winner too!

From our Bennett Group family to yours...

To those celebrating Hanukkah, we wish you peace and light this holiday season.

The Bennett Group is honored to be an ally and lend our support to the Alabama Women's Affordable Housing Network - WAHN! Please consider joining one of the many committees available on the National and/or State level of this WAHNderful organization!

Are you already thinking about your New Year's Resolutions? Well, here's one you can definitely keep: join a WAHN committee!

Are you an ALLY in the industry who would love to be part of the solution? Join our new ALLIES committee!

Are you a wordsmith or a social media guru? We need you on Communications!!

Passionate about DEI? NET-WORK is our DEI initiave, and we'd love to have you on our team!

Accountants, Finance Professionals, Lawyers...check out our Finance and Legal committees!

Sponsorship is critical to WAHN's growth and continued success, and if you'd like to help on that team, let us know!!

If you're interested in these or any other committees, drop us a note in the comments or shoot us a DM!

Learn more about who we are and what we do by visiting our website at www.thebennettgrp.net!

This is the Cartagena family. We took this photo of them at the annual Alabama Affordable Housing Association (AAHA) last month in Destin, Florida.

That’s Aimee in front. She won the Barbara Wallace Scholarship, then went on to win a national CARH scholarship. She and her mom, Aimelis, are soon headed to Washington, D.C., to accept the scholarship and see some sights.

We’re proud the Cartagenas live at a property we developed nearly 20 years ago. We look forward to all the future has in store for Aimee!♥️🙏❤️

Providence Park in Opelika is now complete and a new home to 56 seniors getting to know one another. When they step into an elevator, they find themselves surrounded by Pepperell Creek, which flows just behind this property. When they pick up their mail, they are reminded of the fun at the Opelika Arts and Crafts festival each spring at the municipal park.

Jackson Village in Marion, AL, nearing completion.