Manchester Land Bank Authority

Request for Proposal

 Affordable Single-Family Housing Development — Byron Street Properties

Issue Date:	June 23, 2026
Proposal Submission Deadline:	30 calendar days from Issue Date, 5:00 PM ET
Contact Person:	Vice Chair, Manchester Land Bank Authority, vicechairlba@manchester-ga.gov
Issuing Authority:	Manchester Land Bank Authority (MLBA), Meriwether County, Georgia

1. Project Overview

The Manchester Land Bank Authority is seeking proposals from qualified developers — including for-profit builders, nonprofit housing developers, and faith-based or community organizations — to construct or rehabilitate six single-family homes on the Byron Street properties for sale to income-qualified, owner-occupant buyers.

These six parcels were donated to the MLBA by the City of Manchester for the express purpose of neighborhood infill, revitalization, and the production of housing for persons of low or moderate income. This RFP, and any resulting contract, is governed by the donation conditions set by the Manchester City Council, summarized in Section 2 below. Proposers should read those conditions carefully: they are not general guidance but binding terms of the disposition.

MLBA intends to select a single developer to take on all six properties as one project, in order to maintain consistency of design, scheduling, and accountability across the Byron Street corridor.

2. Background and Donation Conditions

The six Byron Street parcels were conveyed to the MLBA following City Council deliberation and a motion by Mayor Trimble to donate the properties subject to the following conditions. Any proposal submitted in response to this RFP must demonstrate how the proposer will satisfy each condition:

1. Economic Development & Infill. The properties will be developed for economic development within the City of Manchester as infill of residential units for revitalization and improvement of neighborhoods, and the restoration of vacant, abandoned, and dilapidated residential and commercial properties.
2. Low- and Moderate-Income Housing. The six properties will be developed for the production or rehabilitation of housing for persons of low or moderate income.
3. Wide-Reaching Developer Search. The search for, and selection of, a developer must include a wide reach of organizations, groups, and individuals, including non-profit groups such as Habitat for Humanity, churches, and other non-profit housing developers. This RFP will be advertised broadly and made easily available to the public.
4. Owner-Occupied Single-Family Use & Buyer Education. The properties will be developed as owner-occupied single-family dwellings. Every new homeowner must be connected to a homebuyer education program covering budgeting, acquisition, ownership, and property maintenance prior to closing.
5. Neighborhood-Consistent Design. The appearance and architectural style of each dwelling must be consistent with existing homes in the neighborhood surrounding the property.
6. Completion Bond with Clawback. The sales contract between the MLBA and the developer will require a completion bond containing a clawback clause triggered by non-compliance with the contract.
7. Reporting to City Council. The MLBA will deliver timely, regular progress reports on the Byron Street program to the Manchester City Council. The selected developer must provide MLBA with the underlying project data needed to meet this obligation.

3. Property Schedule

The six parcels subject to this RFP are identified below by Meriwether County tax parcel ID. Street addresses and lot details will be confirmed via qPublic and provided to all proposers prior to the submission deadline; proposers should not rely on parcel ID alone when preparing site-specific cost estimates.

Parcel ID	Street Address	Approx. Lot Size	Structure?
MA10 126	See images below	~120’ x 54’ (0.148)	Vacant with road, down slop to the north
MA10 127	See images below	~120’ x 54’ (0.148)	Vacant, wooded, down slop to the north
MA10 128	See images below	~120’ x 54’ (0.148)	Vacant, wooded, down slop to the north
MA10 129	See images below	~120’ x 54’ (0.148)	Vacant, wooded, down slop to the north
MA10 130	See images below	~120’ x 54’ (0.148)	Vacant, wooded, down slop to the north
MA10 131	See images below	~120’ x 54’ (0.148)	Vacant with road, down slop to the north

Note: Parcels MA10 126 and MA10 131 have an asphalt road traversing east and west.

4. Scope of Work

The selected developer will be responsible for the following, across all six Byron Street parcels:

• Site Development. Design, permit, and construct (or rehabilitate, where a structure exists) a single-family dwelling on each of the six parcels listed in Section 3.
• Unit Type. Each home must be a single-family, owner-occupied dwelling — no duplexes, multifamily structures, or rental units are permitted under the donation conditions.
• Homes must be sold to buyers at or below the low-income/AMI threshold housing price based on the Area Median Income percentage of $54,100 per year.
• Design Compliance. Submit architectural concepts demonstrating consistency with the existing housing stock surrounding Byron Street, per Section 7.
• Buyer Qualification & Education. Identify, qualify, and connect each eventual homebuyer with an approved homebuyer education program prior to closing, per Section 8.
• Provide MLBA with progress reports on a schedule sufficient to support MLBA’s reporting obligation to the Manchester City Council, per Section 9.

5. Minimum Qualifications

Respondents must demonstrate:

• Proven experience developing, constructing, or rehabilitating single-family housing for owner-occupant buyers, including experience with income-qualified or affordable housing programs (e.g., Habitat for Humanity affiliate experience, USDA Rural Development, or comparable).
• Financial capacity to fund construction across all six parcels and to secure a completion bond as described in Section 9.
• Demonstrated ability to market available homes to a broad pool of qualified buyers, consistent with the public-facing search and advertisement intent of the Byron Street donation conditions.
• Either an existing relationship with a homebuyer education provider or a credible plan to establish one prior to closing on any home.
• No record of failure to perform on prior transactions with the MLBA or any other Georgia land bank authority.

6. Outreach and Advertisement

Consistent with the donation conditions, MLBA will distribute this RFP through channels intended to reach the widest practical range of developers, including:

• Direct outreach to known affordable housing nonprofits operating in Meriwether County and the broader region, including Habitat for Humanity affiliates and faith-based housing developers.
• City of Manchester website / public notice locations / local newspaper of record — confirm standard advertisement channels used for prior MLBA solicitations
• Posting on the MLBA and City of Manchester public notice pages for the full duration of the solicitation period.

Proposers must, in turn, describe in their submission how they intend to market the completed homes to a broad pool of eligible buyers once construction is underway.

7. Design Standards — Neighborhood Compatibility

Per the donation conditions, the appearance and style of each dwelling must be consistent with current homes in the neighborhood surrounding the property. Proposals must include:

• Photographs or a brief survey of representative existing homes on or near Byron Street.
• Proposed elevations, floor plans, and exterior material selections for each home type to be built.
• An explanation of how the proposed design relates to the scale, setback, and architectural character of the surrounding block.

MLBA reserves the right to require revisions to proposed designs prior to contract execution if neighborhood compatibility is not adequately demonstrated.

8. Buyer Requirements and Homebuyer Education

Each completed home must be sold to an owner-occupant buyer who will use the home as a primary residence. Prior to closing, the developer must ensure that each buyer:

• Meets applicable household income standards for low- or moderate-income housing as established by MLBA and/or the funding source used for the development.
• Completes a homebuyer education program covering, at minimum, budgeting, the home-purchase process, and ongoing home maintenance and ownership responsibilities.
• Executes any deed restrictions or covenants required by MLBA to preserve owner-occupancy and affordability over time.

9. Completion Bond and Clawback

The sales/disposition contract between MLBA and the selected developer will require the developer to post a completion bond prior to conveyance of any parcel. The bond will include a clawback provision under which MLBA may recover bonded funds, the property, or both, in the event the developer fails to:

• Complete construction or rehabilitation within the timeline established in the executed contract;
• Convey the completed home to a qualifying owner-occupant buyer consistent with Sections 4 and 8 of this RFP; or
• Otherwise comply with the material terms of the disposition contract, including design standards and reporting obligations.

Proposers should describe their capacity to obtain a completion bond of this nature as part of their financial plan (see Section 11).

10. Reporting Requirements

Because MLBA is obligated to provide timely, regular progress reports to the Manchester City Council on the Byron Street program, the selected developer must provide MLBA with status updates on a schedule of no less than monthly.

• Reports must cover, at minimum: construction status per parcel, buyer qualification status, homebuyer education completion status, and any compliance issues affecting the completion bond.

11. Proposal Submission Requirements

To be considered, proposals must be submitted electronically or in hard copy as specified by the Contact Person listed above, and must include:

• Executive Summary: Overview of the development team and proposed approach to all six Byron Street parcels.
• Development Team Experience: Resumes, profiles of past single-family or affordable housing projects (Georgia experience preferred), and references.
• Financial Plan: Estimated construction costs per parcel, proposed funding sources, and a description of the proposer’s capacity to secure the completion bond required under Section 9.
• Project Schedule: Timeline from contract execution through completion and sale of all six homes.
• Design Concept: Site plans, elevations, and material selections demonstrating compliance with Section 7.
• Buyer Outreach & Education Plan: Description of how the proposer will market completed homes and connect buyers to homebuyer education, per Sections 6 and 8.
• Reporting Plan: Description of how the proposer will track and report project status to MLBA, per Section 10.

12. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following weighted criteria:

Evaluation Factor	Weight
Development team experience with single-family affordable housing production (Habitat-style or comparable)	25%
Financial capacity and feasibility, including ability to secure a completion bond	20%
Buyer outreach, marketing, and homebuyer education partnership plan	20%
Design compatibility with surrounding Byron Street neighborhood character	15%
Project schedule and proposed delivery timeline for all six parcels	10%
Reporting capacity and willingness to meet MLBA progress-reporting schedule	10%

MLBA reserves full discretion to reject any or all proposals, to request clarification or revisions from any proposer, and to decline to award a contract if no proposal adequately satisfies the donation conditions described in Section 2.

13. Disposition Mechanics

Conveyance of each parcel from MLBA to the selected developer will be by Quitclaim Deed, consistent with MLBA’s standard disposition practice. Where a structure exists on a parcel, the contract will include a one-year renovation completion commitment; for vacant parcels, the contract will establish a construction completion deadline as negotiated.

All disposition contracts will incorporate the completion bond and clawback terms described in Section 9, and will require the developer’s compliance with MLBA’s Owner-Occupant Policy and other applicable provisions of the MLBA Administrative Policies and Bylaws.

 

Questions regarding this RFP should be directed to the Contact Person listed on page 1. All questions and answers may be shared with all proposers to ensure a fair and transparent process.