This Wednesday, a work crew broke ground on four new single-family houses on the west side of Rochester. The homes will be located on vacant lots on Pierpont and Straub streets.

The homes have an expected selling price of $69,000, and will go to qualified first-time home buyers. Each home will have three bedrooms, a den, a basement, and 1 1/2 baths. If the price seems relatively low, it is: by comparison, the average selling price for a home throughout the U.S. is $172,600. The cost of constructing all four homes is $750,000; the difference in price is coming from state grants and city assistance. The homes are expected to be finished and ready for families by this December.

The houses are being built by the Greater Rochester Housing Partnerships Home Rochester program, which works to build or renovate homes in the area and sell them. So far, they have been able to sell over 640 formerly vacant properties. This helps improve overall home value in areas. The city is focusing on redeveloping select areas that have the highest crime rates, vacancy rates, and lower property values.

Newer homes will also be outfitted with better technology and improved infrastructure. Before the 1950s, toilets used seven gallons per flush, for example. Today, new toilets use less than two gallons, helping to save homeowners money.

“When the houses are in good shape, that encourages the neighbors to invest in their houses,” said Jean Lowe, the Housing Partnership’s president. “It makes stability for the families; they’re not changing school districts, they’re staying where they are and they establish roots, and there is also some economic stability from going to a vacant property to an occupied property.”

Straub Street will certainly benefit from this economic stability. It’s a street with century-old homes that would go for high prices in more populated cities. In recent years, though, it’s gained a bad reputation for having drug houses. Officials are hoping that better housing can help turn this struggling street around.