The partner connection, Nov. 2011

November 2011

NEWS AND EVENTS

Japan Honors Board Member Carolyn Crayton

Leadership Development Program

The Department's new

Leadership Development

Program selected seven

employees from forty

applicants throughout the

agency. Commissioner Beatty

congratulated those selected

and challenged them to get the

most out of the program.

"During challenging times such

as the ones we are experiencing now, one of the most important things we can do is to make sure we are

L-R: Johnathan Cox, Kim Carter, Irette Patterson, Commissioner Beatty, Bonnie Woods, Jennifer Fordham,

growing leaders within our

Brian DiNapoli and Joe Collums

organization" Commissioner

Beatty explained. The DCA Leadership Development Program requires each

participant to work on a challenge project and includes a DCA manager as

an assigned leadership coach.

Consul General Hanatani of Japan hosted a reception at his residence to present a
Certificate of Commendation from the Foreign Minister of Japan to DCA BoardMember-at Large Mrs. Carolyn Crayton. The Consul General honored Mrs. Crayton
for her friendship and outstanding achievements in furthering mutual understanding between Japan and the nations of the world. Mrs. Crayton is the founder and Executive Director Emeritus of the Macon Cherry Blossom Festival. Commissioner Mike Beatty, Macon Mayor Robert Reichert, and Major General Robert McMahon attended the event to honor and thank Mrs. Crayton for her tireless efforts to promote Macon and Georgia. Thank you from all of us at DCA, Mrs. Crayton. We're
honored by your work with us.
Photo credit: Mr. Glenn Grossman, MAILSouth, Inc.
City of Covington Wins 2011 Annual Award of Excellence in
Downtown Development

Veterans' Housing in Atlanta Nears Completion
Using $750,000 of our Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery Grant funds, the Department is partnering with the City of Atlanta to renovate a 12unit apartment complex in Vine City. Restoring this formerly neglected property will help both the Vine City neighborhood and homeless veterans for whom these units are designated. To reduce environmental impacts and to promote sustainable community-building, the renovation is EarthCraft Certified, increasing its benefits to the Vine City neighborhood. When complete, the complex will house 24 low- to moderate-income veterans. Making the transition out of homelessness can be difficult, so to ease that transition, Quest 35, Inc, and the Atlanta VA Medical Center will provide supportive services to residents, including job training and medical care. "We're always looking for innovative ways to use our federal funds," says Brian Williamson, DCA's Assistant Commissioner for Community Development and Finance. "Improving an in-town neighborhood, lending a hand to our nation's veterans, and taking care of the environment all in one project - we consider that a win."

Team Georgia in Cordele

Congratulations to the City of Covington! At the 2011 Georgia Downtown
Association Conference, the city won Georgia's highest award in downtown development. Covington's continued dedication to downtown revitalziation, preservation and enhancement have resulted in $27 million in new downtown buildings over the last several years, as well as another $7 million in downtown improvements planned with 2011 SPLOST financing. For a complete list of all of Georgia's 2011 Downtown Award Winners,
click HERE.
November is National Georgia Pecan Month!

Leaders in the City of Cordele called on Team Georgia
to help prioritize some of their biggest community development projects in the next few years. The potential for a new downtown campus for Darton
College; an inland port projected to increase jobs, economic development
and truck traffic; an historic in-town neighborhood with an urban redevelopment plan; and managing development at a major Interstate 75 interchange all mean the potential for big changes in Cordele, and the community wants to plan for those changes to make sure they're pleased with the results. Region Eight Team Georgia Manager Jo Childers put together a team of experts that spent two days in Cordele, working with community members to formulate a plan for action. Team members included:

q Private sector transportation consultants q River Valley Regional Commission staff with expertise in historic
preservation, community financing and mapping q A community development specialist from the Electric Cities of
Georgia
q DCA staff with expertise in planning, community financing, economic development, downtown development and preservation
q Georgia DOT staff with expertise in transportation planning and
transportation management

The Team created a list of work items for community staff, elected officials, non-profit organizations and volunteers to address. Team Georgia will provide more targeted assistance as necessary to help Cordele redevelop and grow. Congratulations to Cordele for their hard work to make a

Did you know that the City of Albany and Dougherty County in southwest Georgia
are the Pecan Capitals of the World? Celebrate Georgia pecans this month in your favorite pie, cookie,salad, or simply
raw out of the shell! The Georgia Department of Agriculture provides lots
of fun pecan facts here.

difference in one of Georgia's great agricultural communities!
Five New Communities Join the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing
The Georgia Cities of:
q Gainesville q Garden City q Harlem q Wadley q Warner Robins

are the newest members of the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH) family. These communities will attend their first session in February 2012.
GICH is a collaborative initiative of the Housing and Demographics Research Center at the University of Georgia and the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, DCA, and the Georgia Municipal Association. The three year program is partially funded by the Georgia Power Company, with additional financial support provided by the USDA Rural Development and Wells Fargo. The following partners provide valuable staff support to GICH:

The Georgia Dream Homeownership Program makes purchasing a home more
affordable for low-to-moderate income families and individuals by offering fixed, low-interest rate mortgages loans. These
rates vary weekly: to check the most current rates, click HERE. To receive
weekly emails with the most current rates and program information, go to www.
dcaloans.com
and complete the email request.

q The Georgia Electric Membership Corporation q University of Georgia Archway Partnership q University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government
GICH selects five new communities to participate in the program every year. During the program, each community housing team receives facilitation, instruction, and technical assistance as they design and implement a housing program to improve both the quality of life of its citizens and the communities' economic conditions. Any city, county, or public housing authority in Georgia is eligible to apply on behalf of a community housing team. For more information, please contact Karen Tinsley klt@uga.edu or (706) 542-4949.

Rates Effective November 10:
Georgia Dream First Mortgage: FHA/VA/RD
Conventional Uninsured 4.625%
Georgia Dream First Mortgage Combined with Any
Georgia Dream Downpayment Loan: FHA/VA/RD
Conventional Uninsured 4.875%
Exceeding Excellence
DId you receive excellent customer service? Click HERE to nominate a DCA
employee for our "Exceeding Excellence" recognition program.
The Department launched HomeSafe Georgia in April 2011 to assist
homeowners affected by the recession. Since its inception, the program has:
q Received 12,526 applications
q Recruited 84 loan servicers to participate in the program
q Closed 331 loans
q Processed 4,231 applications
q Determined 1,998 applicants to be

CardioMEMS: A Georgia Success
CardioMEMS is an Atlanta-based company that develops medical devices for the treatment of chronic cardiovascular diseases. In March 2008, the Department loaned CardioMEMS $819,644 through the Life Sciences Facilities Fund to construct its research facilities, laboratory, and clean-room in the Technology Enterprise Park in Atlanta. The CardioMEMS LSFF loan leveraged $22 million in additional project funding and helped create 50 new jobs.
Since that loan in 2008, CardioMEMS and its founder and CEO, Dr. Jay Yadav, have won several prestigious awards and are in line to win more:
q October 2011: CardioMEMS is awarded the prestigious Phoenix 2011 Most Promising New Product Award for its development of the CardioMEMS Champion Heart Failure Monitoring System
q June 2011: Dr. Yadav is named the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the health sciences category for the Alabama/Georgia/ Tennessee region, making him eligible for consideration in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year National Awards, to be announced later this month.
q May 2011: The Atlanta Business Chronicle honors Dr. Yadav with the Health-Care Heroes Award in the health-care innovations category
q March 2011: Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) names CardioMEMS one of the Top 10 Innovative Technology Companies in Georgia.
"CardioMEMS and Dr. Yadav are the kind of assets to Georgia that this fund was created to attract and keep here in our state," says Commissioner Mike Beatty. "Without the Life Sciences Facilities Fund to help him get started, Dr. Yadav may have chosen to locate in Florida or North Carolina. We're proud that this loan helped CardioMEMS become the successful company that it is today, and we congratulate Dr. Yadav, and thank him for his contributions to

ineligible

medicine. And of course, we're glad that he's making those contributions right here in Georgia!"

For complete program information, including how to apply, see the HomeSafe
Website
Georgia citizens need quick and easy access to affordable housing options and we can help! Whether you are searching by price, number of bedrooms, or even proximity to work, school or transportation, finding a home that meets your needs is easier with GeorgiaHousingSearch.org.
GeorgiaHousingSearch.org is the key to linking tenants with landlords. We offer FREE property posting, bilingual assistance, and a toll-free number (877428-8844) available to those without internet access. The website provides information on rental assistance, community resources and special needs housing.

In 2005, the Georgia General Assembly created the Life Sciences Facilities Fund, administered by the Department's Community Development Finance Division. This program provides low-cost loans to spur the expansion, retention or relocation of life-science companies in Georgia. Since its inception, the fund has loaned $5.9 million to companies doing business in Georgia, spurring more than $42 million in additional private investment. This fund has helped Georgia attract highly skilled jobs paying excellent wages in an industry characterized by significant private investment in research and development.
UPCOMING EDUCATION, EVENTS, OPPORTUNITIES AND DEADLINES
CDBG Applicants' Workshop: December 7-9, 2011
Mark your calendars for the Georgia Department of Community Affairs FY 2012 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Applicants' Workshop. We'll be at The Marriott Macon City Center, 240 Coliseum Drive, Macon Georgia 31217, December 7 - 9, 2011.
The workshop will help participants submit competitive applications for State CDBG assistance. If you have questions or need additional information regarding the workshop, please contact Lisa Smith at (404) 679-5276 or lisa. smith@dca.ga.gov.

Landlords can register in a five-minute process or work with DCA staff to register large-scale listings. We encourage property owners to post their affordable rental units to help make this site as useful as possible. For more information, please contact Sheila Roberts at 404-679-4855 or sheila.roberts@dca.state.ga.gov

Industrialized Buildings Advisory Committee Meets December 13, 2011

The following article originally appeared in The Agurban and is reprinted with permission from Agracel:

The Industrialized Buildings Advisory Committee will meet December 13, 2011 at 10:00 AM in Conference Room 202 at the Department of Community Affairs. The committee will review changes to policies governing international manufacturing plants, and vote on approval of those changes. DCA staff developed these new policies to address concerns and suggestions voiced at the IBAC's October meeting. Please contact Ted Miltiades at ted.miltiades@dca.ga.gov or Max Rietschier at max.
rietschier@dca.ga.gov or by phone at 404-679-3118 for more information.

Who Needs a Job??
Two reports came across our computers this week regarding the jobs situation in our country. One was entitled "College Payoff Goes Missing" and the other was "Wanted: 600,000 Skilled Workers for Manufacturing Industry". So one group of workers can't find work, and one group of employers can't find employees? Why is
this happening?
Some background on the reports - The first report is subtitled "Young college
graduates increasingly find that the jobs they can find don't require the diplomas they worked long and hard to obtain." If you follow our Agurban, you know we strongly believe in the value of a college education. Studies have shown that people with a college degree earn many times more over their lifetime than someone
without a college degree.

Loft Housing and Beyond: A Summit in Madison December 14, 2011
Cities that invest in residential areas in or adjacent to downtowns give a boost to existing businesses and make downtown a more attractive place for new private investment. Downtown living options create a critical mass of people on the streets to visit restaurants, go shopping, or go to work.
This one-day summit will provide information for communities interested in promoting downtown living. Local elected officials, developers, bankers, and other housing experts in the state will share best practices and discuss how they encourage residential development downtown as part of an economic development strategy.
Register on or before December 7th: $45. Day of registration: $55.
For a full agenda and to register, visit the GICH website:
CHIP Application Due Date: December 15, 2011

The second report is based on the survey, "Boiling Point? The Skills Gap in U.S. Manufacturing", conducted by The
Manufacturing Institute and Deioitte. Their research concluded that 5 percent of

Only a month left to complete the Community HOME Investment Program
application for State Fiscal Year 2012! Please direct any questions regarding CHIP funding and applicant eligibility to Michelle Lewis, Program Manager, at 404-679-0659 or CHIP@dca.ga.gov

current manufacturing jobs are unfilled due to a lack of qualified candidates, and that
67 percent of manufacturers have a moderate to severe shortage of available,
qualified workers. The unfilled jobs are mainly in the skilled production category, positions such as machinists, operators, craft workers, distributors, and technicians.

Rural Senior Housing Fund Grant Available: Application Due Date December 15, 2011

There are many reasons leading up to the

disconnect between workers and employers. For one, while we strongly believe in the value of a college education, as stated above, we also believe in the value of vocational and technical training, an area that is typically cut first from our high schools and junior colleges when

The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) is
pleased to announce a new grant program, the Rural Senior Housing (RSH) Fund. Eligible affordable housing organizations can apply for RSH grants to support activities that will build, preserve, or advocate for housing for lowincome seniors (62 and older) living in rural areas. This new program is made possible through the generous support of The Atlantic Philanthropies.

budgets are strained. Other reasons likely include the perceived earnings disparity between skilled manufacturing workers and college graduates, and the upward mobility

Applications are due to HAC no later than Thursday, December 15, 2011. To learn more about the grant program and download an application, CLICK HERE. If you have questions about the application or the RSH FUND,

available in manufacturing jobs.

please contact Janice Clark, 202.842.8600 x 131 or email Janice@ruralhome.

org.

At our current unemployment rate of 9.1%,

or 14 million unemployed Americans, if COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND

600,000 unemployed Americans went to FINANCE DIVISION

work in these available jobs, the rate would

drop to 8.7% immediately. With the

manufacturing multiplier effect, an

Awards by Region - October 2011

additional 840,000 jobs would be created

by these manufacturing jobs, further

reducing the unemployment rate to 8.1%.

The Manufacturing Institute report stated, "...companies need to partner with
educational institutions to make developing workforce skills a top strategic priority. Our education system must also do a better job
aligning education and training to the

needs of employers and job-seekers." WE AGREE!
2011 Skills Gap in U.S. Manufacturing Report
College Payoff Goes Missing

Region Three
Development Authority of Cobb County
q $250,000 in REBA Funds q Creates 150 jobs q $2.15 million in private investment q Expansion and location of a facility in Kennesaw

Region Five City of Braselton

q $500,000 CDBG grant q Creates 29 jobs q Retains 16 jobs q $322,000 in private investment q Redevelopment efforts in downtown Braselton

Region Eight Crisp County-Cordele Industrial Development Authority

q $500,000 loan from OneGeorgia Equity Loan Fund q Creates 250 jobs q $1.024 million in private investment q Equipment purchase for company locating in existing building in
Cordele

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