The partner connection, Feb. 2013

February 2013

NEWS AND EVENTS
Celebrating Leadership Day 2013

DCA and DACs: Helping Hands in Times of Need

Governor Deal at Leadership Day.

After a tornado roared across Northwest Georgia on January 30, 2013, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GE MA) opened two Disaster Assistance Centers: one in Gordon County and one in Adairsville. Since the DACs have been open, ten DCA staff people have provided assistance to Georgia citizens affected by the storms. We've provided information to people whose homes were so damaged by the storm that they need alternative housing, some for the short term, but others for longer. When disaster strikes in our state, many state and volunteer agencies step in to provide help in whatever form it's needed, and we at DCA are happy to pitch in.

The Georgia Rural Development Council hosted the twelfth annual Celebrating Georgia Leadership event at the Georgia Freight Depot on February 2, 2013. GRDC Vice-Chairman Jason Winters, Chattooga County Sole Commissioner, welcomed the crowd of more than 600 representatives of youth, local and regional leadership development programs from across the state, along with key elected officials. Governor Deal, Mrs. Sandra Deal, DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty and others addressed the crowd, thanking them for their dedication to Georgia and encouraging our citizens to get involved and stay involved in issues that matter to them.
Governor Deal stressed Georgia's need for leadership, telling the teens in the audience, "Communities need strong leaders. You can be a leader even without a title. Be bold. Be persistent, be determined and be sincere, and you will make a difference in your community." First Lady Sandra Deal noted that both she and Governor Deal are 4-H alumni, and encouraged these youth to find what resonates in their hearts and then to "lead with a servant's heart."

Daniel Jackson (Carroll Tomorrow), representing the Georgia Academy for Economic Development; Representative Amy

Monday, January 21: AmeriCorps members and over 500 community volunteers in Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism programs gathered in communities across the state for a busy day of service and really got things done! January 21st is a national holiday, but for national service programs like AmeriCorps, countless nonprofits, businesses, and volunteers, it's "a day on not a day off." The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is a way to transform Dr. King's life and teachings into community service to empower and strengthen local communities. Georgia's national service programs joined the rest of the nation in participating in service projects throughout the state.

Carter (Georgia General Assembly), representing Leadership Lowndes & Leadership Georgia; and Candice Childs (Chatham Co), State 4-H Board, all provided brief comments on the value of leadership training programs at all levels.
Commissioner Mike Beatty says, "Through programs like the Georgia Academy for Economic Development and our partnerships with the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership and the UGA/Cooperative Extension Service's 4-H program, the Department works hard to increase the breadth and depth of local leadership across our state. We mean it when we say we want to partner with communities to create a climate of success for Georgia's families and businesses, and leadership is a key ingredient to success."
Inter-Agency Partnership to Address Housing Needs

For more information about Georgia's Americorps program, or the Commission for Service and Volunteerism, contact Amieko Watson at amieko.watson@dca.ga.gov.

Americorps and VISTA in Georgia: Real People Making Real Change

Pat Brown, Housing Development Coordinator, and Carmen Chubb, Deputy Commissioner for Housing, celebrate the
Department's partnership to address Georgia's housing needs.

The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism administers eighteen AmeriCorps

The Department of Community Affairs, the Georgia Housing Finance Authority , the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabili ties, and the Georgia Department of Community Health are entering a landmark partnership to address the housing needs of some of Georgia's most vulnerable citizens. This partnership earned the praise and financing of the federal Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services in the amount of $4.1 million to provide integrated housing opportunities with support services to extremely low income persons with disabilities. HUD's support is made possible through the Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Demonstration Program (PRA Demo) which enables persons with disabilities who earn less than 30 percent of median income to live in integrated mainstream settings.

programs and manages eight AmeriCorps VISTA Members focusing on activities related to alleviating poverty. This month we'd like to share a snapshot of one of our AmeriCorps Members who is "getting things done" for Georgia!
Barbara Ade began her AmeriCorps VISTA service in November 2012 at DisABILITY Link. Based in Decatur, DisABILITY Link is a non-profit organization advocating for and serving people with disabilities and is designed to increase independence, access and equal rights for everyone through the empowerment of people with disabilities. As an AmeriCorps VISTA member, Barbara will focus on coordinating financial health seminars for persons with disabilities, creating sustainable partnerships, and an ongoing financial health program for program participants. Barbara will assist communities in developing resources and recruiting volunteers for mentoring at-risk youth with disabilities.
Barbara knows firsthand the challenges faced by people with disabilities, since she has fibromyalgia and uses a service dog named Buddy to help her manage the effects of the disease. When asked why she chose VISTA, Barbara said, "because I have always believed in making the world a better place. This was an opportunity to give back to the people and programs that have helped me through my prolonged illness."
Barbara is not alone in her service! More than 16,000 people of all ages and backgrounds are helping to meet local needs, strengthen communities, and increase civic engagement through national service programs in Georgia. For more information, contact Amieko Watson at Amieko.watston@dca.ga.gov.

"This type of innovative and collaborative approach at the federal, state and local levels works to offer tangible and lasting solutions for those vulnerable persons who might otherwise be institutionalized or living on our streets," said HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr. "We're assisting states to reduce their health care costs, improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities, and are working to end homelessness." Commissioner Beatty noted, "This is one of the most comprehensive partnerships we've entered into, with two major federal agencies and three Georgia agencies, plus the City of Atlanta, all working together to address a true problem for extremely low income citizens with disabilities, and I'm proud of the team that has developed this new program for Georgia."
For more information on the Project Rental Assistance Demonstration Program, contact Carmen Chubb at Carmen.chubb@dca.ga.gov.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory
Council Celebrates Sweet Auburn
Opportunity Zone

Governor Nathan Deal

signed legislation creating the

Martin Luther King, Jr. Advi

sory Council in 2011 to

focus on education,

recognition for the importance

of the Civil Rights Movement

and its leaders; and bringing

people together to advance

Dr. King's teaching of

nonviolence and his legacy of

social justice. In June 2012,

the Council voted to ask the City of Atlanta to include the Sweet Auburn District in Atlanta, where Dr. King grew up and spent much of his life, in the City's request to the

The birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Sweet Auburn district in Atlanta. Photo courtesy of the National Park
Service.

Department for an

Opportunity Zone

designation. By doing so, the Council has contributed to the

ability of the district to attract economic development.

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.

An Opportunity Zone is a legal tool managed by the Department that allows local governments to use more attractive Georgia job tax credits for companies that create jobs in areas designated in enterprise zones or urban redevelopment plans. When businesses locate inside the OZ, each job they create is worth a $3,500 tax credit. Rural areas and areas with high rates of poverty or disinvestment use these credits to attract new business and spur economic development. Early this month, the Department approved the Sweet Auburn District as an Opportunity Zone. "An opportunity zone is a powerful redevelopment tool, and we're happy to work with the City of Atlanta to promote the redevelopment of such an important, significant neighborhood," says Brian Williamson, Deputy

Landlords can register in a five-minute process or work with DCA staff to register large-scale listings. For more information, please contact Ron Pounds at 404-327-6864 or ron.pounds@dca.ga.gov.

Commissioner for the Community Development and Finance Group.
For more information about the Martin Luther King, Jr Advisory Council, contact John Turner at john.turner@dca.ga.gov. For a complete list of Opportunity Zones in Georgia, click HERE.

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.

UPCOMING DEADLINES, EVENTS, OPPORTUNITIES
Community Planning Institute: Water Resources Management:

February 21, 2013

The Office of Planning and Environmental Management is sponsoring a one-day educational opportunity for elected officials, local government staff, community volunteers and others interested in learning about how land use affects water supply and quality.

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

Join us in Waycross at the Southern Regional Commission from 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM, Thursday, February 21, 2013. Click HERE for a registration form. For more information, contact Annette Henson at annette.henson@dca.ga.gov.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors for Schools Task Force Meeting Schedule

The Office of Construction Codes and Industrialized Buildings will provide staff support to the newly-formed Carbon Monoxide Detectors for Schools Task Force.
Each meeting is open to the public and will be held in the Department's Board Room:
Room 302, 60 Executive Park South, NE, Atlanta, GA.
Schedule: February 26: 10:00 AM April 18: 10:00 AM May 8: 10:00 AM
For more information, contact Dee LeClair at dee.leclair@dca.ga.gov or 404-327-7909.
HomeSafe Georgia

The Department will provide information about how to apply to the HomeSafe program for mortgage assistance at the following events:
February 21: 9 AM - Noon; 2013 Cairo/Thomasville Career Expo, Southwest Georgia Technical College, Sewell Building D, 15689 U.S. Highway 19 North, Thomasville
February 21: 1 PM - 4 PM; Telfair County Career Expo, Telfair County Recreation Department, 408 East Oak Street, McRae
As always, more information, eligibility requirements and applications are available on the HomeSafe webpage: https://www.homesafegeorgia.com/.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FINANCING January Financial Awards
Region Six
City of Irwinton
Immediate Threat and Danger Grant: $17,551 Provides assistance to make repairs to a city well Benefits 609 people
Region Eight
City of Pinehurst
Immediate Threat and Danger Grant: $8,317 Provides assistance to make repairs to the city wastewater treatment facility Benefits 455 people
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