SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — In June, the Nehemiah Expansion project broke ground on 40 new homes in Springfield's East side. The first set of those homes are completed and new families have already started moving in. One of the people getting the keys to a new home is Plama Berry. 

The Springfield native has moved around Springfield and even out of the state because of the lack of affordable housing. Now she's back in town and able to live near her daughter, grandkids, and other family members. 

"It's going to feel good to have a brand new home with everything new in it," said Berry. "It's hard to find something that's affordable ... this is a blessing." 

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Everyone who lives in a Nehemiah Expansion home gets the chance to purchase it after 15 years of renting. The goal is to revitalize the neighborhood one home at a time, and help families build up generational wealth. 

"I get so excited when I'm driving down the street and I can look over and say 'That's a new Nehemiah House,'" said Reverend Silas Johnson, the President and CEO of Nehemiah Expansion Inc. "We can help build up the east side of town and remove the stigma that the east side is not a good place to live." 

Homes through the Nehemiah Expansion Program are offered to households earning less than the Area Median Income. These include: 

  • 16 units  for households earning less than 60 percent of the Area Median Income ($51,540 for a family of 3 in Sangamon County)
  • 14 units  for households earning less than 50 percent of the Area Median Income ($42,950 for a family of 3 in Sangamon County)
  • 10 units for households earning less than 30 percent of the Area Median Income ($25,770 for a family of 3 in Sangamon County)

Reverend Johnson says he makes sure each home is high quality, and a space that he would want his family to live in. The homes range in size from two to four-bedrooms. 

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