Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney and Josh.
Courtney and Josh, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Concrete Roots began with a dream of building a tiny house community. When I met Josh back in 2015, he spoke about one day developing a community out of shipping containers, on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, not far from where he was born and raised. Two years had passed and he was still t.a.l.k.i.n.g. I don’t consider myself much of a dreamer, so much as a doer. My career in corporate and go-to-market strategy prepped me as I spent those two years mentally mapping out the steps to realizing his dream, making it tangible.
We got engaged August 31, 2017 and began looking for houses in downtown Atlanta. We had a budget and no luck. All of the houses we looked at were botched flips or out of our price range. On our way home from an unsuccessful day of house hunting, Josh said, “see, this is why we just need to buy land and build ourselves,” to which my response, although blunt, was sincere, “do it or shut up about it!”
February 2018, we purchased our first two plots of land with the intention of building shipping container homes that were contemporary, progressive and AFFORDABLE to young couples and families just like us. Throughout the process of constructing our first container home, the thought of only investing in the real estate of the neighborhood created internal conflict, as we have seen developers go in and completely change the fabric of a neighborhood and leave. We had to be different, we had to do more. That is when Concrete Roots was born. From then on, Josh and I made a conscious decision to not just invest in the real estate of a neighborhood, but in its existing roots.
At our core, Concrete Roots is devoted to promoting home ownership, creating opportunity and optimizing community resources and human potential. We accomplish this through building housing that is affordable, actively participating in youth development, providing on the job training and facilitating neighborhood programming.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This road has been anything but smooth. When we began our journey to creating a home made of shipping containers, there were no existing codes in Fulton county that allowed for shipping containers to be used for residential build. We knew they were popping up all over the globe not only for its sustainability but for its affordability. We were seeing commercial properties leverage shipping containers throughout Atlanta and a couple of people used containers to add on to their existing home or as an Airbnb or guest house in their backyard. So, when we initially went into permitting, we filed through commercial which required a lot of additional steps. In addition, Georgia saw a lot of rain in the beginning of the year, which is the Achilles heel to all construction projects and Covid-19 made subcontracting difficult. As more and more people were working from home, that long laundry list of home improvements became top priority and many of our sub-contractors were juggling 2 or 3 jobs at a time. Then there is always the struggle of good financing. Real estate is not a cheap start up by any means, especially when you are introducing a relatively new concept to the market.
Please tell us about Concrete Roots.
On the surface, Concrete Roots is a construction and design company specializing in residential contemporary new builds and renovation for resell. We are most recently known for our shipping container home over in the Dixie Hills neighborhood of downtown Atlanta — the first of many. As a company, we are most proud of our commitment to community and our focus on the intentional and equitable revitalization of Metro-Atlanta neighborhoods. At our core, Concrete Roots is devoted to promoting home ownership, creating opportunity and optimizing community resources and human potential.
We accomplish this in a number of ways. The first, is by building housing that is affordable. Our mission is to continue on the path to finding new and affordable ways to construct quality homes for young, progressive couples and families just like us. Second, we partner with existing local community organizations such as Active Youth Academy and Atlanta Center for Self-Sufficiency. By partnering with these organizations, we are able to actively participate in after school programing for at risk youth and provide on the job training in the trades (i.e. painting, flooring, plumbing, tile work, landscaping) for adults facing barriers of employment. Barriers can include but are not limited to former substance abuse or incarceration and/or homelessness. Lastly, we facilitate and invest in neighborhood programming. Our projects are determined by the neighborhood’s needs and vision.
That is what sets us apart. When you buy a Concrete Roots home or volunteer for one of our community events, you should find peace in knowing that you are not just investing into your own home ownership, but you are reaffirming a neighborhood, creating a second chance opportunity for someone re-establishing their life and re-investing in the potential of our youth.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Courtney – My favorite memories from childhood all really take place at my childhood home. I grew up in Chicago and was fortunate to live amongst neighbors that really became family. I remember spending my summers riding bikes and rollerblading with the other kids in the neighborhood or playing basketball in the alley. We had block parties and community farmers markets. My mom would get really into the holidays and we would turn our front porch into a haunted house for holloween and have big easter egg hunts. That is where I get my commitment to community. Still to this day I can think back to that block on Normandy, it created such a solid foundation for me and my sisters and it feels like home.
Josh – I am not sure if this is considered “childhood” but some of my fondest memories were back in my teenage/young adult years. I am big into motorcycles and used to spend just about every night after work and weekends racing the streets of Atlanta. Up and down I-20, I was the fastest man on 2-wheels, no one could beat me. Growing up in Atlanta over the last 30+ years, I have witnessed the change. I love Atlanta and having the opportunity to really create an impact is awesome. I am excited about everything we are doing and will continue to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.concreterootsgroup.com
- Phone: 7049098760
- Email: concreterootsgroup@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/concreterootsgroup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConcreteRootsGroup/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Image Credit:
Cam Perry
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