Our History

The beginnings of Gainesville Housing

The U.S. government created the U.S. Housing Authority in 1937, authorizing it to make loans to local housing authorities for affordable housing projects to replace substandard housing with decent, affordable housing. On August 15, 1949, The Housing Authority of the City of Gainesville, Georgia (GHA) was created by the Gainesville City Council – making it the fifty-ninth housing authority developed in Georgia. The first apartment development was Melrose Homes (See photos at top and bottom of this page), which opened in 1952 has since housed thousands of families.

Read more detailed histories:

< This report documents life in Gainesville's public housing through the decades.

. < This booklet showcases memories of life in Green Hunter Homes, as told by past residents.

The second development, also built in 1951-52, was Green Hunter Homes, which housed thousands of families, until it was demolished and redeveloped in 2018 ( Photo at above left was taken in 2017; photo on above right taken 2019) as Walton Summit. Then, other campuses were added on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (formerly Myrtle Street.), Will and Pine, Banks, Summit and Johnson Streets. In the 1970s, Butler Apartments, Mill Street, Tower Heights and Collins Street were added.

Later additions

In the early 1970s, 75 units were constructed off Old Athens Highway and named Harrison Square Apartments; 25 units were constructed across from Northeast Georgia Medical Center and named Jesse Jewell Apartments. Both are still in use.

To that end, GH has recently upgraded all campuses significantly, and are constructing new campuses – such as Walton Harbor (replacing Tower Heights Apartments).

Also, Midtown Villages (above) was completed in 2020 and includes Melrose, Butler, Collins, Rainey and Summit St campuses. The launch of Midtown Villages – combined with the renovations at Harrison Square and Jesse Jewell Apartments and earlier renovations at sites such as MLK, Jr. Blvd, Johnson, Banks – raises the bar in our housing community to an all-time new standard and quality of life that our area can be proud of.