The partner connection, Apr. 2012

April 2012

NEWS AND EVENTS April is Fair Housing Month



April 23, 2012 - State Holiday
Please note: the Department of Community Affairs and all state offices
will be closed Monday, April 23, 2012 for Confederate Memorial Day.
Some Facts about The Department's Housing Efforts:
Since 2005, 41 communities in Georgia have participated in the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing. These communities have used $35.9 MM of public and private funds to construct 768 new housing units and rehabilitate 454 existing housing units Since 2007, the Georgia Dream Program has helped 4,748 Georgia families purchase their own homes In Fiscal Year 2011, communities statewide applied for and received more than $7MM in Continuum of Care funds to provide shelter and services for many of Georgia's neediest citizens
2012 CHIP Awards
Commissioner Beatty announced the Department's award of over $3.4 MM in grants to local communities and nonprofit organizations under the state's Fiscal Year 2012 Community HOME Investment
Program (CHIP).
CHIP uses a portion of the Department's HOME funds to assist local governments, nonprofit organizations and public housing authorities address the needs of affordable housing development in their communities. CHIP funds may be used to
provide down payment assistance or homeowner rehabilitation funding to eligible low- and low-moderate income households. For a complete list of 2012 grant recipients,
click HERE.

(L-R) Assistant Commissioner of Rental Assistance Dennis Williams, Assistant Commissioner of Housing Finance Carmen Chub, and Commissioner Mike Beatty
celebrate National Fair Housing Month.
In honor of National Fair Housing Month, we'd like to share the Department's housing goals with our readers. We focus our housing programs on providing opportunities for Georgia citizens to improve their housing situations and their lives. We work to help local governments fulfill the need for safe, decent and affordable housing for all members of the community - from those just starting out in the workforce, to families with children, to those with special needs, to elderly citizens who want to be able to "age in place" and not leave their life-long communities.
Ensuring access to affordable housing no matter where an individual falls in the housing spectrum allows a better quality of life for everyone. The Department does not build housing; rather, we partner with local governments and the private sector to establish policies, provide financing, and leverage our collective expertise to make sure every community in Georgia has affordable housing opportunities for its citizens.
We strive to encourage self-sufficiency among all Georgians. We dedicate some of our financial resources to those least able to meet their housing needs. We work to help stabilize the housing situations of families facing unemployment in these tough economic times. We help communities provide safe, affordable housing to our troops returning from active duty. These efforts help the Department meet its mission: to partner with communities to create a climate of success for Georgia's families and businesses.
Thank you to all our partners across Georgia with whom we work to provide safe, decent and affordable housing in every corner of the state.
National Community Development Week Around Georgia

Fiscal Year 2012 Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG)
The Department received 142 applications for CDBG funding in April Requests totaled $67,951,394 Georgia's allocation available to fulfill requests: $23,397,829 Governor Deal will announce projects funded in August 2012

Lifetimes of Service

On April 4, 2012, the DCA family celebrated with Winfred Owens and Cynthia Easley as they begin the next chapters of their busy lives.

National Community Development Week was April 8-14, 2012, and the Department celebrated with communities across the state. In Douglas, Commissioner Beatty (at the wheel of the backhoe, above, along with Douglas Mayor James Dennis and Coffee County Commissioner Jimmy Kitchens) took part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new, 188-acre industrial park. (The community has filled its other two industrial parks). This park is the result of a community-wide fundraising effort that has raised more than $1.6 million to-date and is expected to raise even more, all from businesses and citizens with an interest in bringing industry to Douglas-Coffee County.

Winfred Owens has always been an advocate for rural governments and communities. A native of Ocilla and a graduate of Paine College in Augusta and the University of Georgia, Winfred has been active in the state and national Rural Communities Assistance Program, helping provide safe, clean drinking water for thousands of Georgians, in addition to managing the Office of Regional Services for ten years and working in Rural Development for most of his career. He is retiring from state government after 30 years of faithful service.
Cynthia Easley worked for the Department since completing her Masters Degree of City Planning. A graduate of the University of Alabama and Georgia Tech, she has lent her community and economic development expertise to local governments statewide and managed several state-funded grant programs for the Department. A native of Dothan, Alabama, Cynthia retires with 34 years of outstanding service.
We will miss these dedicated, resourceful, compassionate professionals. We wish them well and know that we'll see them around Georgia!

Downtown Valdosta business owners making use of the Downtown Development Revolving Loan Fund!
Across the way in Valdosta, the Commissioner met with Mayor John Gayle and members of the city's community development staff. The highlights of the day were touring a rehabilitated downtown building whose owners had used DDRLF funds to bring the building back to life, as well as touring a city neighborhood that has made use of CHIP funds to renovate homes and provide working families down-payment assistance.
In Warner Robins, Commissioner Beatty met with over 200 business leaders, including former Governor Sonny Purdue and House Leader Representative Larry O'Neill at the Warner Robins Rotary Club, discussing the Department's role in community development efforts around Georgia. He then met with Warner Robins Mayor Chuck Shaheen to discuss the city's efforts to create a vibrant, walkable downtown for its citizens.

DCA "CAN" Do!
During the Department's first-ever employeesponsored food drive, DCA staff donated 5,760 pounds of food. Staff from each regional office and the central office all
participated, and all the food collected will go to area food banks around Georgia. The Athens Regional Rental Assistance Office donated a whopping 2,260 pounds, which works out to 76 pounds of food per employee. Way to go, Athens!
The Department launched HomeSafe Georgia in April 2011 to assist homeowners affected by the recession. Since its inception, the program has:
Received 6,139 completed applications
Recruited 100 loan servicers to participate in the program
Closed 887 loans
Applications under review: 953
Determined 4,121 applicants to be ineligible
For complete program information, including how to apply, see the HomeSafe Website

UPCOMING EDUCATION, EVENTS, OPPORTUNITIES AND DEADLINES
Community Planning Institute: Water Resource Management - May 3, 2012 in Macon
Mark your calendars now to attend the next Water Resource Management class at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in Macon. This one-day workshop provides information on the effect of land use and development decisions on water quantity and quality; and is appropriate for elected officials, public works staff, and local planning staff to attend. Click HERE for more information and to register, or contact Adriane Wood at adriane.wood@dca.ga.gov .
Appalachian Regional Commission Livable Communities Workshop: May 15, 2012 in Cartersville
The Appalachian Regional Commission, with assistance from the National Association of Development Organizations, is joining with the Partnership for Sustainable Communities interagency initiative to build awareness and provide training on livable communities. The workshop will provide insight on grant opportunities, technical assistance and resources for livable and workable communities. The Livable Communities Workshop is scheduled Tuesday, May 15, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, at the Clarence Brown Conference Center in Cartersville. For more information, please contact James Thompson at james.thompson@dca.ga.gov or 404-679-0646.

State Small Business Credit Initiative Workshop: May 23, 2012 in Atlanta

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.
Landlords can register in a five-minute process or work with DCA staff to register large-scale listings. For more information, please contact Sheila Roberts at 404-6794855 or sheila.roberts@dca.state.ga.gov
GeorgiaHousingSearch.org is the key to linking tenants with landlords. We offer FREE property posting, bilingual assistance, and a toll-free number (877-428-8844) available to those without internet access.

The Office of Economic Development is hosting a workshop on Wednesday, May 23 to educate lenders from banks, credit unions and Community Development Finance Institutions on Georgia's new State Small Business Credit Initiative. The seminar will offer how-to instructions on the lender qualification process, implementation procedures for enrolling loans, and the advantages in taking part in this program.
The national SSBCI program was created by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, which allocated $1.5 billion of funding to support state-sponsored small business lending programs. The US Treasury approved the State of Georgia for $48 million in funding. SSBCI will fund three new small business lending programs: $10 million for the Georgia Capital Access Program (GCAP), a portfolio insurance program; $17,808,507 for the Georgia Small Business Credit Guarantee (SBCG), a 50% credit guarantee with a conversion option into a loan loss reserve; and, $20 million for the Georgia Funding for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), a loan participation program. In accordance with US Treasury guidelines, Georgia's SSBCI programs are anticipated to leverage $480 million in private financing for small businesses in Georgia.
For more information and to register for this workshop, please contact Ross Avina at ross.avina@dca.ga.gov or 404-679-1593.

For previous issues of The Partner Connection, click on our logo or HERE.

Community Development Finance Division March 2012 Awards by Region
Region Two
Joint Development Authority of Franklin, Hart and Stephens Counties and the Joint Development Authority of Banks, Habersham and Rabun Counties
$948,000 in OneGeorgia Equity funds Will construct a 65-mile fiber optic network (North East Georgia Network) for building economic development capacity and strengthening education in the region. The North East Georgia Network proposes to interconnect with the existing North Georgia Network (NGN) routes, thereby leveraging the OneGeorgia Authority BRIDGE funds already invested in the region. $150,000 loan with the terms of 10 years at 0% interest with a two-year deferment. The $798,000 balance of the award is a grant.
Region Six
Development Authority of the City of Milledgeville
$1MM in OneGeorgia EDGE funds $17.4MM in private investment Creates 250 jobs Retains 478 jobs Assist with the expansion of an aircraft component fabrication and assembly facility. Total project cost is $36,624,704.
Region Eight
Development Authority of Columbus
$250,000 in OneGeorgia EDGE funds $19MM in private investment Creates 177 jobs Retains 179 jobs Assist in the expansion of an aircraft engine manufacturing facility in Columbus, Georgia. Total estimated project cost is $19,306,000.
Region Nine
Wayne County Industrial Development Authority
$500,000 OneGeorgia Equity loan Purchase the former American Welding and Tank property to be used as a speculative building. The property is located along US Hwy 341 (The Golden Isles Parkway) and is served by all utilities including rail. The proposed project is structured as a $500,000 loan with terms of 20 years at 0% with a five-year deferment or when a tenant locates in the building, whichever occurs first. Total project cost is $635,000.
Region Twelve
Bulloch County
$500,000 in EIP funds $26.2MM in private investment Creates 40 jobs Assist with the construction of a public rail spur and water line improvements to serve Building Materials Manufacturing Corporation new facility location.

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