Full house sponsor Assurant, an Atlanta-based leading global business services company that supports, protects, and connects major consumer purchases, recently dedicated this year’s home build for future Habitat homeowner Carissa. The two-story home is located on Bowden Street in Austell, near some neighboring Habitat homes built in 2021 and 2022. The home is the 18th Habitat build for long-time partner Assurant. Caldwell-Cline Architects & Designers provided the beautiful home design, which is the only two-story design Habitat is building this year.
Carissa’s inquisitive nature has contributed to her success as a Fiscal Technician for Cobb County Government where she helps maintain financial records for the State Court. Despite excellent financial management, both professionally and personally, she has not been able to overcome rising costs in this housing market. She lives in a one-bedroom apartment in Marietta where she tapes up cardboard to cover the holes made by squirrels that live inside the walls, yet her rent has increased by 21 percent in the last year. Habitat’s zero interest mortgage will provide Carissa with a decent place to live while building equity in a home. She’s most excited about creating memories in her new home in Austell.
The construction began in April and Assurant volunteers have built side by side with Carissa. The company has been building with this affiliate since 2001. This home also marks the first home back in Austell this year, continuing the Austell Neighborhood Revitalization we began in 2020, thanks to sponsors Assurant, Publix Super Markets Charities, AXIS Capital, Citi, Nissan, the Cobb Catholic Coalition, Cobb Interfaith Coalition, and many community partners, like the City of Austell and Sweetwater Mission.
“Assurant is building a permanent home for a local family in a growing neighborhood, where they can have stability and financial security that will be felt for generations,” said Jessica Gill, CEO, N.W. Metro Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. “We are grateful for the long-term commitment from Assurant to improving housing for families in our community.”
“We are thrilled to hand over the keys to this beautiful new home to Carissa,” said Alecia Bailey, VP, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Executive Director of the Assurant Foundation. “Our grants to nonprofits focus on protecting, connecting and inspiring. In our focus on protecting, we aim to help people access safe places to live and thrive. In service of this vision, over the past six years, we’ve invested more than $760,000 and close to 5,800 volunteer hours in Habitat for Humanity home builds across the U.S.”