The partner connection, 2013 May

May 2013

NEWS AND EVENTS
HomeSafe Georgia Helping Homeowners

Congratulations to the Spring 2013 graduates of the regional Georgia Academy for Economic Development. Local leaders (elected, appointed, and volunteer) in six regions completed the four-day training program this spring, to gain an in-depth perspective on the community and economic development process in Georgia. Many of the more than 4000 graduates since 1994 continue to serve, putting their knowledge to use in serving their communities and the state. To see a list of the graduates from the Spring classes (Regions 1, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 11) please click HERE.
City of Auburn Attains WaterFirst Designation

Commissioner Mike Beatty, Karen Hill, 13th District Representative David Scott, Brenda McGee, and Myah Johnson-DuBoise at a recent
job fair.
During April, HomeSafe Georgia staff participated in several community events to share foreclosure prevention information, including Representative David Scott's 13th Congressional District Job Fair. HomeSafe Georgia staff spoke with more than 1,000 people at these events, working to ensure that homeowners facing unemployment know that they may be eligible for assistance.
At the 13th District Job Fair, Commissioner Beatty and Representative Scott met Mrs. Karen Hill, who has worked with HomeSafe staff to avoid foreclosure while she seeks new employment, after being laid off in 2012. Mrs. Hill says, "I have so much gratitude and appreciation for the help and assistance I received to help save my home from foreclosure. It's a testimony to how the HomeSafe program was really there to help for the good during these tough times."
HomeSafe has helped more than 3,200 Georgians prevent foreclosure

during tough economic times. For more information about the program, see our website, or contact Cynthia Harrison at Cynthia.harrison@dca.ga.gov.
Commissioner Beatty and Appalachian Regional Commission's Earl Gohl: Partnerships Improve Our Communities

(pictured left-right: Saralyn Stafford, Ron Griffith, Iris Akridge, Mayor Linda
Bleckinger, Deatre Denion, David Hawethorne. Photo credit: Susan
Norman, The Barrow Journal)

Congratulations to the City of Auburn, Georgia's newest WaterFirst community! The hard work and dedication of elected officials, staff and citizens has earned the community the WaterFirst designation, which provides financial incentives including reducedinterest loans for water-related facilities, technical assistance, and bonus points on certain grant applications. For more information on the WaterFirst program, contact Deatre Denion at deatre.denion@dca.ga.gov.

Many Appalachian commumunities depend on the ARC to fund community and economic development projects,like this access road in
the City of Jefferson.

State Fiscal Year 2013 Community Home Investment
Program Awards
Commissioner Beatty announced the Department's award of nearly $4.2million in grants to local communities and nonprofit organizations under the state's Fiscal Year 2013 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 to address the needs of affordable housing development in their communities. CHIP funds may be used to provide down payment ssistance or homeowner rehabilitation funding to eligible low- and low-moderate income households. For a complete list of 2013 grant recipients, click HERE.

Earl Gohl, Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, visited several of Georgia's Appalachian communities in May, along with Commissioner Beatty, Georgia's ARC Program Manager James Thompson, and Northeast Georgia Regional Commission Director Jim Dove. In two days, Co-Chair Gohhl was shown Georgia's famous southern hospitality in everything from the Crawford Long Museum in Jefferson, to a fresh cheese-making farm in Elbert County, to an apple orchard in Blue Ridge. The Appalachian Regional Commission provides funds for community and economic development in 37 counties in Georgia, and works to promote and preserve the cultural identity unique to the Appalachian Region of the United States.
During a stop in Jefferson, Commissioner Beatty remarked, "the partnerships that we're able to create through DCA, along with ARC, the Regional Commissions and local governments are keys to our success in Georgia. Our state is home to so much culture and history, and we want to preserve that while we make ourselves competitive in the 21st century. We're thankful for the funding that makes these projects possible, and we're thankful for our local staff and elected officials who have the vision and foresight to create communities our citizens are proud to call home."
For more information about the Appalachian Regional Commission, contact James Thompson at james.thompson@dca.ga.gov.

Community Development Block Grant Applications
Received
For the CDBG Annual Competition:
The Department received 120 applications for public facility,housing, and multiactivity projects These requests total more than $55MM Governor Deal will announce funded projects in August 2013 The CDBG Recipients' Workshop is September 5-6, 2013 in Savannah.

SSBCI: Working for Georgia's Small Businesses
Funded by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, the Georgia SSBCI (State Small Business Credit Initiative) provides $48 million to increase access to credit for Georgia's small businesses. Since 2012, SSBCI programs have helped fund 73 loans totaling $9,026,655, which have created 295 jobs and retained 374 jobs in 21 counties.
The Georgia Loan Participation Program (GA LPP) is the newest SSBCI initiative, and will help reduce the risk of small business loans. Banks make loans in part based on risk: the higher the risk to the bank, the less likely the bank is to lend the money. Because small businesses usually have fewer assets and a smaller cash flow than large corporations, they are considered a higher risk by lending institutions even if they have good credit ratings. With GA LPP, the State will use SSBCI funds to purchase up to a 25% participation in a loan to a small business originated by a private lender. "Participation in a loan" means that the SSBCI program buys part of the loan - making it less risky for the private bank, and thus, easier for the small business to borrow money. The ultimate goal of the GA LPP and other SSBCI programs is to make it easier for lenders to increase access to capital for Georgia's small businesses, enabling these businesses to invest more, employ more people, and thus, strengthen Georgia's economy.

For more information on the SSBCI program, including training opportunities, contact Holly Hunt at 404-679-3144 or at holly.hunt@dca.ga.gov.
GEFA Awards $62 Million for Environmental Infrastructure

3.25%
Georgia Dream First Mortgage FHA/VA/RD/Conventional Uninsured
with or without a Georgia Dream Down Payment Loan For complete information, click HERE.
Georgia citizens need quick and easy access to affordable housing options and we can help! Whether you are searching by price, number of

The board of directors of the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) awarded the cities of Camak, Canton, Cornelia, Dallas, Garden City, Jesup, Mount Vernon and Richmond Hill; Butts County Water & Sewer Authority; and Jones County financing totaling $61,853,175 for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements.
Approved Loans:
Camak was awarded a $250,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan. Canton was awarded a $300,000 Georgia Fund loan and a $7,500,000 CWSRF loan. Cornelia was awarded an $11,695,958 Georgia Fund loan and a $2,113,355 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) loan. Dallas was awarded an $18,500,000 CWSRF loan. Garden City was awarded a $3,145,543 Georgia Fund loan. Jesup was awarded a $5,000,000 CWSRF loan. Mount Vernon was awarded a $300,000 Georgia Fund loan. Richmond Hill was awarded a $10,000,000 CWSRF loan. Jones County was awarded a $1,326,319 CWSRF loan. The Butts County Water & Sewer Authority was awarded a $1,722,000 DWSRF loan.
For project details and descriptions, click HERE.

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 Ron Pounds at 404-327-6864 or ron.pounds@dca.ga.gov.

UPCOMING DEADLINES, EVENTS, OPPORTUNITIES HomeSafe Georgia
The Department will provide information about how to apply to the HomeSafe program for mortgage assistance at the following events:

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.

Department of Labor and Savannah Technical College Job Fair: May 16, 2013; 2 PM - 6 PM; Savannah Technical College, 5717 White Bluff Road, Savannah
Fitzgerald Community Event: May 18, 2013; 10 AM - 3 PM; 921 E. Oconee Street, Fitzgerald
DeKalb Community Cabinet Breakfast: June 1, 2013; 9-11 AM; Chapel Hill Middle School, 3534 Dogwood Farms Road, Decatur
The Career Expo: June 11, 2013; 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM; Wiregrass Technical College; 667 Perry House Road, Fitzgerald
Gwinnett Village Community Alliance 4th Annual Job Fair: June 21, 2013; Victory World Church, 5905 Brook Hollow Parkway, Norcross
As always, more information, eligibility requirements and applications are available on the HomeSafe webpage: https://www.homesafegeorgia.com/.

Swimming Pool and Spa Code Task Force

Thanks to you, our readers, Constant Contact named The Partner Connection one of its 2012 All Star Award Winners! We work to share the most current information about the Department of Community Affairs with you each month. If you have ideas or requests for information about DCA that you'd like to read here, click HERE to share them with us.
We're here to partner with communities to create a climate of success for Georgia's families and
businesses!

The Swimming Pool and Spa Code Task Force will meet May 21, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. in DCA's Conference Room 202 . The Task Force will review and make recommendations regarding adoption of the Swimming Pool and Spa Code and any necessary amendments to the State Codes Advisory Committee (SCAC). Please contact Traci Turgeon at traci.turgeon@dca.ga.gov for more information.
Council of Development Finance Agencies:
One Day Conference in Atlanta, June 4
Join the CDFA Georgia Financing Roundtable for a one-day conference on "Exploring Finance and Development in the Peach State." This event will feature a number of economic development finance experts from around the state discussing new development finance tools, authorities, and approaches and how these can affect the Georgia economy going forward. Brian Williamson, Deputy Commissioner for Economic Development, is the keynote speaker.

This event will be held at the AMA Atlanta Executive Conference Center

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

in Atlanta. Click HERE to register today to reserve your spot at the 2013 CDFA Georgia Financing Roundtable Conference.
Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership: Application Due Date - June 13, 2013

The Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) will accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing in regions across the country. The IMCP is designed to reward communities that demonstrate best practices in attracting and expanding manufacturing by using long-term planning that integrates targeted investments in workforce training, infrastructure, research, and other key assets.
The EDA is making grants up to $200,000 for 20-25 communities nationwide to engage in "strategy implementation planning." Applicants should focus on identifying targeted industries and specific public investments that will enhance the attractiveness of regions to private investment. Special attention should be given to the role of small and medium sized manufacturing firms. To apply for this grant, and for complete details, see THIS LINK on www.grants.gov. Application deadline is June 13, 2013.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FINANCING
April Financial Awards
Region 2

City of Royston
$50,000 in Immediate Threat and Danger funds $76,000 additional public investment (non-DCA) Funds to assist in installing a waterline to provide the Vanna Community access to public water. Will benefit 90 persons of whom 65 are low-to-moderate income.

Region 3
Development Authority of Gwinnett County
$300,000 in REBA (Regional Economic Business Assistance) funds $11MM in private investment Creates 500 jobs Assists in the expansion of a headquarters office in Gwinnett County.

This email is prepared and emailed by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. If you wish to be removed from the email list, please be sure to click on the SafeUnsubscribe button below.