Gorman & Company, in partnership with the City, the neighborhood and the state housing authority, revitalized Fairbanks Flats, listed on both the State Historical Register and the National Register of Historic Places, into sixteen affordable rent-to-own townhomes.
Fairbanks Flats, first built in 1917, is one of only two buildings in the United States originally constructed for segregated company housing. The site retains its historic standing, with ties back to the great migration of African Americans from the south to the industrial north. Former residents still living recall the family environment and camaraderie that seemed to surround the structures, which have been revived for low- to moderate-income families and people with disabilities.
Residents who rent one of the townhomes are given the opportunity to purchase at a substantial market discount at the end of a fifteen-year tax compliance period. This neighborhood can give long-term residents the opportunity to share in the equity at the time of purchase and give them the opportunity to build credit and homeownership skills prior to owning a home.

