Windows boarded up at historic Yamacraw Village as demolition concerns resurface

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Concerns about the future of Yamacraw Village in Savannah are resurfacing as residents are starting to see windows get boarded up.

It’s one of the oldest housing complexes in the nation, built in the 1940s as a segregated community for African Americans.

We spoke with a community advocate who said his concerns are that the people who live there right now won’t be protected if or when new housing is built.

WTOC crews watched workers board up windows and doors across the housing complex on Tuesday.

This has been an ongoing conversation for years starting back in 2020 when the Savannah Housing Authority made the decision to demolish it after a physical need assessment.

We asked Savannah Mayor Van Johnson about how soon this process could begin.

He says in a recent conversation with the housing authority, they agreed that it should be done as soon as possible and that the priority for the property is more housing.

A community advocate we spoke with says this is a historic neighborhood.

He says there has been no guarantee from the housing authority about if current residents will get priority to come back and live.

That’s what he’s pushing for.

The people that live here, they should also benefit from that value, they should also benefit in some way from at least having an opportunity to have generational wealth right now here in downtown Savannah,” said advocate, Laray Benton.

We posed several questions to the housing authority Tuesday morning.

We asked what exactly will be done with the property, a timeline and if there is a possibility that these residents will be prioritized if new housing is built.

We have not heard back.

Preserving the history of Yamacraw Village

A woman who grew up in Yamacraw Village says she’d like to preserve the history but more importantly, Bryan Baptist Church, that’s been a part of the history there for decades.