FAIRBORN — The City of Fairborn donated funds and two land lots to Habitat for Humanity. By this time next year, two families are expecting to be settling into their new homes.

The lots are both located within the 300 block of Dayton-Yellow Springs Road and neighbor each other. The families who will soon call the sights their new home, have been identified and fundraising for the project will soon get underway. Construction is expected to start by mid-2018 and wrap up within 16 weeks of the project start date, or by September 2018.

“We are getting close to finishing up our community housing impact preservation grant we received in fall 2016. In that, we agreed to collaborate with Habitat for Humanity to give them three lots and $5,000 each for the construction of three new homes,” Development Services Manager Missy Frost said. “They had identified the lots; 650 Orville (Street) is currently under construction and it was requested that we move forward with the donation of two new lots on Dayton-Yellow Springs.”

As part of the agreement, the city authorized a donation of $5,000 for each lot as well. Frost said funds will go toward constructing the homes.

“This is a great win-win for everybody,” City Council Member Marilyn McCauley said. “The city gets rid of blighted property, Habitat for Humanity gets [to construct two new homes] and our families get a nice house. It’s great thing.”

Both lots formerly included a home. However, in 2009 one of the properties was identified as a nuisance and went through the abatement process. The city purchased the lot and demolished the home in 2010. The city has been maintaining the land ever since. The other property was declared a nuisance in 2009 and was abated and assessed back to the property. In 2010, the home was demolished. However, foreclosure in 2015 would put the property and responsibility of maintaining the lot back into the hands of the city.