June 2013 NEWS AND EVENTS Congratulations to Our Great Promise Partnership Graduates! Building Safety Month Governor Deal, city and county officials, the Office of Construction Codes, and members of the development community pose for an official photo as Governor Deal proclaimed April 2013 Building Safety Month in Georgia. (L-R) Asia Parnell, Lori Bodine, Managing Director of Great Promise Partnership, and Shemone Thomas celebrate high school graduation. Asia and Shemone are 2013 graduates of Cross Keys High School and participants in DCA's Great Promise Partnership Workplace program. In May 2013, all high school seniors participating in four Great Promise Partnership (GPP) Workplace programs in the Atlanta area graduated on schedule. The GPP celebrated with its thirteen new graduates at a ceremony at Atlanta City Hall. Commissioner Mike Beatty and City of Atlanta Council Member Keisha L. Bottoms of District 11 recognized the students for their efforts both in and out of the classroom. Thanks to the City of Atlanta for hosting the graduation celebration and special thanks to Valencia White, Jo Ponce, and Hilda Smith for their hard work to make this event possible. And of course, heartfelt thanks to the workplace employers - the City of Atlanta, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Technical College System of Georgia - for their commitment to the Great Promise Partnership and the students they mentored and employed. 3.25% Georgia Dream First Mortgage FHA/VA/RD/Conventional Uninsured with or without a Georgia Dream Down Payment Loan For more information on the Great Promise Partnership, contact Lori Bodine at lori.bodine@dca.ga.gov. UPCOMING DEADLINES, EVENTS, OPPORTUNITIES HomeSafe Georgia HomeSafe Georgia Staff will participate in the following events to provide information about foreclosure prevention: For complete information, click HERE. June 20: CGTC Milledgeville Campus Conference Center, 54 Highway 22 West, Milledgeville; 1-5 PM June 21: Gwinnett Village Community Alliance Job Fair, Victory World Church, 5905 Brook Hollow Parkway, Norcross; 9 AM -3 PM June 22: Vets Homeownership Tour, Savannah State University Student Union Center, Savannah; 9 AM - 4 PM June 22: Community Housing Festival, Longwood Park, Gainesville; 9 AM - Noon June 22: Housing Resource Fair, Roselfan Recreation Center, 365 Cleveland Ave. SE, Atlanta; 10 AM- 3 PM 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. 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. June 25: Veterans' Career Fair, Savannah Civic Center, Savannah; 9 AM - 3 PM Community Planning Institute Summer Schedule NEW! - Integrating Land Use and Hazard Mitigation Planning We cannot stop the force of nature, but we can be better prepared when it strikes. How and where we build our communities can be part of that preparation, and this new workshop is designed to provide insight for local leaders as they consider how best to protect their citizens in the future. This one-day, free workshop is targeted to those 2008 Presidentially Declared Disaster counties of Bartow, Bibb, Burke, Carroll, Crawford, DeKalb, Douglas, Emanuel, Floyd, Fulton, Glynn, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Laurens, McIntosh, Polk, Treutlen, Twiggs, and Wilkinson. Other communities may attend as space allows. Click HERE to register. June 25, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM: Rome - Rome Civic Center July 17, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM: Macon - Central Georgia Technical College July 18, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM: Jekyll Island - Villas by the Sea Using Your Plan and Managing Water Resources July 18-19, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM: Jekyll Island - Villas by the Sea This workshop covers a range of subjects relevant to today's local governments, and is reasonably priced so that several people from a jurisdiction may attend. The class will include full-day sessions on: Georgia Initiative for Community Housing: Eight Years of Progress Effective use of the comprehensive plan Methods available to help implement the plan Wise use and protection of water resources Click HERE to register and for more information, or contact Annette Henson at annette.henson@dca.ga.gov. Georgia Downtown Association Conference: August 14-16 in Savannah The GICH team recently released its Eighth Annual Progress Report, and the numbers are impressive. Even during the last several years of tough housing markets, GICH communities have continued to provide new and rehabilitated housing construction for their citizens. Click HERE to read the full report. Make plans now to attend the Georgia Downtown Association 2013 conference. Click HERE to register online through Georgia Municipal Association or HERE for a printable registration form and a tentative agenda. Georgia Initiative for Community Housing 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 Georgia Initiative for Community Housing is now accepting applications for participation in the three-year program. Applications are available HERE and are due by September 6, 2013. Interested cities are encouraged to attend an informational webinar on July 11th and submit a letter of intent by July 31st. Vibrant neighborhoods with safe, decent and affordable housing are essential to any community's economic vitality. Since 2004, the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH), a partnership of the Georgia Municipal Association, Georgia Department of Community Affairs and the University of Georgia Housing and Demographics Research Center, has been helping communities across Georgia address their housing and community development needs. Many local leaders have a clear vision for their communities but need assistance getting started. GICH helps communities develop a clear road map for achieving their vision. This program provides a platform for thinking of creative solutions and networking ideas with housing professionals, city officials and staff, as well as community volunteers from across the state. For questions, or to RSVP for the webinar, contact Karen Tinsley at 706.542.4949 or klt@uga.edu. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FINANCING May Financial Awards For previous issues of The Partner Connection, click on our logo or HERE. Region 5 Jackson County Industrial Development Authority $500,000 in REBA funds $350MM in private investment Creates 320 jobs Assists in the location of an automotive compressor manufacturing facility in Pendergrass Region 8 Crisp County/City of Cordele $500,000 in Employment Incentive Program (EIP) funds $10.375MM in private investment Creates 50 jobs Will assist with the construction of public rail spur improvements to serve Stella-Jones Corporation's new facility location Development Authority of Harris County $1.5MM in OneGeorgia EDGE funds $264,000 in public (non-DCA) investment $8MM in private investment Creates 700 jobs Retains 700 jobs Will assist in the expansion of a poultry processing facility Region 10 Albany-Dougherty Payroll Development Authority $225,000 in REBA funds $3.2MM in private investment Creates 112 jobs Will assist in the location of a distribution center in Albany This email is prepared and emailed by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. 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