Georgia Department of Community Affairs newsletter, 2016 May

May 2016
IN THE NEWS
DCA launches online 'gateway' into all things housing

Community Done Right success stories are a result of local governments adopting a partnership attitude with DCA and
with each other and are examples to follow for all Georgia communities.

REGION 8: Connecting the dots through DCA's Georgia Academy for Economic Development
The Georgia Academy for Economic Development is designed to develop a network of leaders and emerging leaders engaged in economic efforts across the state, and Region 8 is no different. The Region 8 class draws leaders from all 16 counties in the region and is held at South Georgia Technical College. SGTC President John Watford is even a 2011 graduate of the Region 8 academy class.
DCA Community Services Division Region 8 Representative Jo Childers says, "I am so proud to be part of a program that can bring such a diverse group of people together to learn the basics of economic development and then help them see the links between DCA's programs, our partners, each other, and to a wide array of opportunities."

Look for the new "Home Starts Here" button on the home page of the DCA website if you are house hunting to buy or need to rent, own a home but need a little help, are homeless
or know someone who is, or have a Fair Housing inquiry or concern.
One of DCA's primary goals has been to help individuals find safe and affordable housing options in the state of Georgia. Over the past few months, the DCA Housing Group and the Systems Design and Development Team have been developing a simple interface for our customers to better find those resources. It's called the Housing Gateway.
The Housing Gateway is an expandable tool that will undergo several phases of development to ensure that we provide the best channels and functionality for our customers to reach the

myriad of products DCA and its partners have to offer. The navigable interface uses simple language, clean graphics, and push-button access to alternatives for home buying, rental opportunities, homelessness assistance, avoiding foreclosure, inquiring about Fair Housing concerns, and much more.

The Region 8 Georgia Academy for Economic Development class of 2016 recently toured the Griffin Bell Aerospace Technology Center
at South Georgia Technical College.
Partnerships are paramount in Region 8 with collaboration between local governments, the River Valley Regional Commission, area chambers of commerce, development authorities, educators, Georgia Power, and Georgia EMC. Success stories, both large and small, are many in exemplifying the proactivity in economic efforts as a result of participation in the Georgia Academy program.

The tool is now live and available on DCA's homepage or at www.dca.state.ga.us/HousingGateway. Please share
the Housing Gateway with your customers and DCA partners.
If you have any suggestions or feedback, please email Wesley Brooks, DCA senior policy analyst for
housing, at wesley.brooks@dca.ga.gov.
Georgia Main Street Program Celebrates National Historic Preservation Month

One such story is of a county commissioner from Dooly County who took home the collaborative leadership skills he learned to coordinate the local governments and business stakeholders to recruit a Family Dollar franchise to downtown Vienna. The project created jobs, has had a positive impact on the local tax base, and is also an attractive example of downtown infill.

In Richland, a Main Street manager, a mayor, and an innovative entrepreneur made use of Redevelopment Funds to address a blighted block to set the stage for expansion for a local distillery and encourage new businesses and jobs, as well as Georgia Grown agri-tourism.

Historic Hay House in Macon

Columbus and Vienna have embraced their systematic Comprehensive Planning efforts to become two of DCA's designated PlanFirst Communities and to create better places to live, work and play.
Just recently three Chamber annual meetings in Macon, Sumter and Randolph counties were coordinated by Academy graduates, and many local award winners and keynote speakers were graduates, too. Quite a few graduates have gone on to local and statewide elected offices touting their Academy training as an inspiration for them to run and to be more proactive in their communities and beyond.

From a statewide celebration at a brunch and presentation in Macon, to numerous local events like a highlighted tour in Tifton, May was a great month of celebrating Georgia's abundant Main Street community's local heritage and honoring their own individual preservation pasts during National Historic Preservation Month.
For the second consecutive year, Main Street managers, Main Street board members, DCA staff, and varied partners gathered at the Historic Hay House in Macon for an event co-hosted by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and the Hay House partners on May 17. Keynote speaker Dr. Leslie Sharp, Georgia Tech's vice provost for graduate education and faculty development, shared a presentation featuring preservation and planning topics centered on Atlanta's ever-changing

"It is exciting to see them collaborate and really use that

approach to historic preservation throughout numerous

knowledge to take action on the local level," added Childers. neighborhoods and its downtown.

For more information about DCA's many programs and resources in Region 8, contact Community Services Team Representative Jo Childers at jo.childers@dca.ga.gov.
Read more (below) about the Academy and the upcoming Fall 2016 Cohort in this issue of the DCA
newsletter!
IN OTHER NEWS

"We appreciate our partners for co-hosting this event...and we look forward to continuing this tradition," said DCA's Downtown Development Education and Outreach Coordinator Leigh Burns.
Tifton's own Main Street Program celebrated by hosting school-aged children for historic walking tours in downtown on May 5. Third grade students toured Downtown Tifton and met merchants, business owners, company representatives, and governmental officials who welcomed them individually throughout the morning.

DCA filling regional cohorts for Fall 2016 Georgia Academy for Economic Development
DCA's Georgia Academy for Economic Development (GAED) is already ramping up recruitment for the Fall 2016 classes in Regions 2, 3, 4, 7, 10 and 12. Offered in all 12 of DCA's service delivery regions, this "crash course" assists Georgia's civic leaders in their community and regional economic development efforts by providing an understanding of the critical processes, strategies and components involved in improving their economies.

The Tift Theatre for Performing Arts:
photo use by permission from the Tifton-Tift County Tourism Association
Stops on the historic walking tour included the Tift Theatre, Union Depot Apartment Complex, Myon Hotel/City Hall, Tifton Museum of Arts & Heritage, Tifton-Tift County Public Library, Tift County Court Room, Tift County Administration Building, Tifton Terminal Railway Museum, and the Veterans Memorial Park. Students wrapped up their morning in the Park at noon by enjoying sack lunches provided by their schools.
"We know the children enjoyed celebrating the events and will look forward to returning to their own downtown area with family and friends to share their favorite historic sites," added Burns.

For more information on National Historic Preservation Month, visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation website at www.savingplaces.org. To learn more about the Georgia Main Street Program, please visit our DCA
Main Street website at www.georgiamainstreet.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
HomeSafe Georgia: June events & homeowner testimonial

Classmates from the recent Region 8 GAED course work on a consensus-building exercise.

Taking place over a four-month period through four days combining lecture, interactive exercises, and guest expert presentations, the Academy provides crucial leadership training in areas such as consensus building, team development, and other critical leadership skills. Participants explore such topics as funding, tax digest, site selection, business development, downtown development, ethical decision making, tourism, and economics of education.

Anyone who plays a role in economic development in their communities or regions -- elected and appointed officials, business persons, staff members in economic and community development organizations, and civic and grassroots leaders -- are encouraged to apply.

The Fall 2016 Academy dates and locations are scheduled as follows:

Region 2 Clarkesville Aug 4, Sept 8, Oct 6 and Nov 1 Apply for Region 2 cohort here.
Region 3 Metro Atlanta Aug 9, Sept 13, Oct 11 and Nov 10 Apply for Region 3 cohort here.
Region 4 Griffin Aug 2, Sept 6, Oct 4 and Nov 8 Apply for Region 4 cohort here.

June events
June 5: Real Estate Fair "Helping Your Dreams Come True" from 1 - 5 PM at the Monarch Ballroom, 1960 Day Drive, in Duluth
June 11: Community Leadership Institute, from 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM at the Atlanta Metropolitan State College, 1630 Metropolitan Parkway SW, in Atlanta

Region 7 Thomson Aug 23, Sept 27, Oct 18 and Nov 16 Apply for Region 7 cohort here.
Region 10 Leesburg Aug 25, Sept 15, Oct 13 and Nov 17 Apply for Region 10 cohort here.
Region 12 Richmond Hill Aug 30, Sept 27, Oct 30 and Nov 29 Apply for Region 12 cohort here.
DCA OUT & ABOUT in GEORGIA
DCA Commissioner Knowles talks planning with Liberty County leaders

About HomeSafe Georgia
It is a free, state government program to help homeowners who are unemployed, underemployed or face other types of financial hardships save their homes from foreclosure.
For more information, visit www.HomeSafeGeorgia.com.
Register now for June's Appalachian Regional Commission pre-application workshops
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs - Appalachian Regional Commission invests funds in community and economic development activities in the 37-county Georgia ARC region. Attend a pre-application workshop to learn the specifics of successful applications, innovations across the 13state ARC region, and successes and best practices in Georgia. Workshops will be held from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on two dates in June.
June 20: Dalton, Northwest Georgia College & Career Academy, Multi-Purpose Room #512, 2300 Maddox Chapel Road
June 21: Blairsville, Union County Community Center, 129 County Recreation Road
Eligible applicants include local governments; registered economic and industrial development, downtown development, hospital and other authorities in Georgia; educational institutions; healthcare institutions; and non-profit organizations. For more information on the ARC and on the priority areas for investment, visit DCA's Appalachian Regional Commission webpage.
WORKSHOP REGISTRATION: There is no registration fee and lunch is provided. Please pre-register by
emailing Annaka.woodruff@dca.ga.gov by June 15, 2016. Include your name, organization, the number
attending, and date attending in your email.

DCA Commissioner Camila Knowles visited with close to 60 community leaders from Liberty County and its
municipalities at their annual planning retreat on May 26 on St. Simons Island. She praised them for their

planning efforts and commitment to enhancing the quality of life for their fellow citizens through the implementation of comprehensive plans and their strategic use of the resources and programs offered
through DCA. Liberty County is one of only 17 communities statewide with DCA's
PlanFirst designation. She is pictured here with City of Riceboro Mayor Bill Austin, at right, as Liberty County
Board of Commissioners Chairman Donald Lovette looks on.
Community Finance staff visits Savannah's Tiny House Project

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FINANCING
April 2016 Financial Awards
Region 2: Hall County The Gainesville and Hall County Development Authority, with recommendation from the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), was awarded $1,750,000 in Regional Economic Business Assistance (REBA) funds to assist in the expansion of a facility for Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation. Kubota will create 580 new jobs, retain 1,041 jobs, and invest $220 million within 60 months.
Region 3: Fulton County The Development Authority of Fulton County, with recommendation from the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), was awarded $500,000 in REBA funds to assist in the location of a distribution facility for WalMart.com USA LLC in Union City. The Wal-Mart.com will create 450 new jobs and invest $108 million within 36 months.

Region 7: Richmond County
The Development Authority of Richmond County, with recommendation from the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), was awarded $600,000 in REBA funds to assist in the expansion of a facility for ADP, LLC. The company will create 450 new jobs, retain 976 jobs, and invest $20,223,500 within 60 months.

DCA Grants Management Specialist Lisa Smith, left, and DCA Community Finance Division Director Joanie
Perry, center, joined Council of State Community Development Agencies (COSCDA) Executive Director Diane Taylor in touring the Tiny House Project for
homeless veterans in Savannah on May 17. The Savannah-Chatham County Authority for the Homeless
recently completed its first 127 square-foot model house. The tiny house is fully insulated, has instant-on
hot water, heating and air conditioning, a full bathroom and kitchen, and a sofa that converts to a bed with storage underneath. The Authority envisions the construction of up to 72 homes like these, with the first village of 12 tiny houses dedicated to housing
homeless veterans.

Region 11: Berrien County The Berrien County Development Authority was awarded a $331,212 Redevelopment Fund (RDF) program grant for the rehabilitation of the former Miller Building located on the Courthouse Square.
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Previous issues of The DCA Newsletter
Camila Knowles, Commissioner
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