More than half of Georgia renters spend at least 30% of their income on housing. In South Carolina, the figure is 52%. In Tennessee, a full-time worker needs to earn $56,172 a year to afford an average two-bedroom rental — more than twice the earnings of an extremely low-income household.
Mercy Housing Southeast has worked across the region for decades — building transit-integrated communities, pioneering senior housing design, and demonstrating that affordability and quality are not a trade-off.
In Savannah, a partnership with Operation Pathways brought healthy food access to families in food deserts. In Atlanta, onsite health clinics provide screenings, Medicare wellness exams, chronic disease management, and referrals — staffed by resident physicians, nurse practitioners, and medical students.
Every Mercy Housing Southeast youth participant in Out-of-School Time programming was promoted to the next grade level following the 2021-22 school year.
Savannah Gardens transformed an aging, high-crime site into a neighborhood of 439 energy-efficient family and senior apartments. Mercy Park in Atlanta — the first affordable housing development to win the Urban Land Institute Atlanta Award for Excellence — is transit-oriented and integrated with the Mercy Care healthcare facility.
The Summit at Belmont in Columbia features private entrances to every residence, designed to support privacy, dignity, and positive neighbor relationships.
When COVID-19 arrived, Mercy Housing Southeast converted community spaces into distribution centers within 48 hours — providing food, diapers, and essentials with no external instruction.
When a senior resident needed an accessible unit immediately, staff secured one the same day. Endowment keeps this kind of response available consistently, not just in exceptional circumstances.
In Tennessee, a full-time worker needs to earn more than twice an extremely low-income household’s earnings just to afford an average two-bedroom rental. Mercy Housing Southeast has met that pressure with award-winning design, on-site clinics, and a team that moved within 48 hours when COVID closed everything else. Here’s what an endowment makes permanent.
Onsite clinics across Atlanta properties bring screenings, wellness exams, and chronic disease management directly to residents — Mercy Housing residents see checkup rates nearly 30 points above the national average for low-income adults. The endowment keeps health services in the building.
Savannah Gardens replaced a high-crime, aging site with 439 energy-efficient family and senior apartments. At the Summit at Belmont, every residence has its own private entrance, designed for dignity as much as for privacy. The endowment funds the next neighborhood worth rebuilding this well.
When COVID-19 hit, Mercy Housing Southeast turned community rooms into supply hubs within 48 hours — no one had to ask. The endowment is what lets that instinct become a standing capability instead of a one-time scramble.
The Mercy Builds endowment
The Mercy Builds endowment is built gift by gift — each one a permanent part of the foundation. Arrange a conversation with the philanthropy team to find your role.
