Avondale Square a development designed by the city and Mayberry Homes that is set to hold 26 single-family homes when complete. There are seven houses currently on the market for low-income homebuyers, but Community Development Specialist and event coordinator for the project Amy Schluser said that she hopes to have ten of them ready by the time the project is finished.

The program suffered during the economic housing crisis several years ago, but Schluser said that things seem to be turning around for the better.

“I believe that the housing crisis did affect the program at first,” she said. “But sales have increased. We’ve been able to construct and sell five new houses.”

The houses start at $150,000, but those who are eligible can receive up to $25,000 in loans. The sizes of the houses all vary, beginning at around 1,000 square ft.

“I’m hoping to see the project completed within the next few years,” she said. “I want to see people become more educated about the project, which could aid in additional home sales, and bring more people to this close-knit neighborhood.”

Schluser plans on having another housing fair in the spring.

“Our targets are any and all,” said Mikki Droste, executive director of the Hometown Housing Project. “I’m hoping that people will be buying that didn’t think they’d be able to before.”

Those in attendance had a chance to tour two of the homes on Virginia Avenue, providing them with a clearer picture of what their potential future homes could look like on the inside. Both houses were two stories with finished basements, along with a few other customizations.

Michael Sawyer-Todd, a resident of the Avondale Square development, said he and his husband are living in a home that they’d be comfortable in forever.

“My husband, William, and I have lived in this house for five years,” he said. “We specifically wanted East Lansing … We love the diversity here, and it’s very welcoming to the LGBT community.”