Austell resident Willie Payton is an affable 68-year-old who visits daily with friends in his Sweetwater neighborhood in Austell. He has lived in his house on Hotel Street for 34 years. He was raised on Thornton Road in Austell and the house is only the second house he has ever lived in. In recent years, the house has become badly dilapidated. When Habitat NW Metro Atlanta began the Austell Sweetwater Neighborhood revitalization project in 2020, Willie’s house became an immediate project for rehabilitation. Thanks to funding from our dedicated Cobb Catholic Coalition and our stellar construction crew, his house has undergone a full rehab, with all new windows, all new exterior doors, brick foundation repair, exterior wall insulation, crawl space repair, OSB house wrap and new Hardie siding,new steps and handrail for the back porch, new shutters, exterior paint, new facia andsoffit, drywall repair around windows, new trim on interior around windows and doors, storage shed and a new mailbox post.
“The people from Habitat are beyond nice,” said Willie. “I’m just loving it …So many people have stopped by to compliment it,” said Willie. “It’s best the best-looking house around here now!”
He also has a fully enclosed porch to visit with neighbors. “I love my porch… I’m on it right now. It’s still a good view with these two new windows. It’s got paint and carpet and everything,” exclaimed Willie. “It doesn’t even look like the same house!”