Building Belonging: How Affordable Housing Design Is Shaping Savannah’s Future

Savannah stands at a pivotal moment. As the city’s growth attracts new investment and development, longtime residents—particularly modest and working-class families—are increasingly at risk of being priced out of the neighborhoods they’ve called home. A new wave of community-centered housing projects is challenging that trend, proving that affordability, design excellence, and neighborhood equity can coexist.

Affordable Apartments and Community Center at 916 MLK Blvd. - CHSA Development

At GMShay, we are invested in these solutions at every level. As one of the company’s design leads and project managers, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Savannah’s communities, where design and affordability go hand-in-hand. In addition to my role as an architectural professional, I’ve spent the past seven years as a licensed real estate agent in Savannah, helping first-time buyers and families seeking homes within reach. Many of these families are grappling with the harsh reality that their current rentals are becoming unaffordable. While a member of the Savannah Housing Task Force, we drafted solutions to assist our region with handling the mission to house more Savannah through government, community, non profits, and the private sector. I understand how difficult it is—across policy, finance, and design—to maintain affordability while also promoting dignity in the built environment. But I also know we can and are doing better. Savannah is a place where people want to live, work, and grow. Sustainable, attainable housing must be high-quality and desirable, not just low-cost.

Newly Constructed Apartments Designed by GMSHAY Architects - Procida Development

That’s why we’re proud to support larger movements like the Savannah Housing Summit and the Georgia Affordable Housing Conference. These platforms bring together developers, city leaders, nonprofit partners, and residents to break down silos, identify systemic barriers, and explore scalable solutions to Georgia’s affordability crisis.

LIHTC Apartment Development designed by GMSHAY in Thomas Square Neighborhood - Procida Development

A clear example of this work in action is the proposed development at 916 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. This community will offer 16 thoughtfully designed two-bedroom apartments for couples and families who have been displaced—or are at risk—due to rising rents. Supported by the City of Savannah, CHSA Development, Inc., and a network of nonprofit collaborators, the development combines stability and affordability in three interconnected buildings. Residents will enjoy full kitchens, in-unit washers and dryers, porches, and a shared secure courtyard. Rents are capped at the fair market rate—roughly half of what similar market-rate apartments cost nearby.

Affordable Apartments and Community Center at 916 MLK Blvd. - CHSA Development

More than just shelter, the design fosters connection. Ground-floor spaces include a walk-up retail unit, computer lab, flexible meeting rooms, laundry facilities, and a playground for young residents that knit the community together at the core. This is long-term housing, not transitional—designed to allow residents to live with dignity and grow toward economic independence.

Heritage Place Apartments located in Historic Cuyler Brownsville - Mercy Housing Development

These principles also guide our work on the historic Charity Hospital and Florence Street School along with two newer buildings and a community center make up an eighty-eight unit complex community operated by Mercy Housing. Thoughtful renovations to the four buildings,  improved landscaping, upgraded interiors, and active common areas, prove that well-designed affordable housing can stabilize neighborhoods and enrich lives.

Affordable Mixed-Use Community at the Fairgrounds - City of Savannah

At the Savannah Fairgrounds, our team envisioned a bold future: a walkable, transit-connected mixed-income community with over 400 units of workforce housing, green space, and venues for sports and entertainment. This transformation, making more strides through the work of the City of Savannah, reflects our belief that affordability and vitality should go hand-in-hand.

Designing affordable housing is about more than numbers—it’s about preserving community, restoring opportunity, and shaping an inclusive Savannah for generations to come.

Authored by:

Meredith Stone - Design Project Manager