Workforce Housing in Rural Georgia UGA Housing and Demographics Research Center Department of Community Affairs Georgia Rural Development Council

What housing can the workforce afford? To pay the Fair Market Rent in non-metro Georgia one must earn $8.35 an hour and work 40 hours a week. Someone earning $30,000 annually can afford a home costing no more than $86,800. The average sale price of a new home in Georgia is $157,801.

Percent Living Below Poverty 680,000 Georgia households have combined incomes of less than $20,000. 1,050,000 Georgia households have combined incomes of less than $30,000.

Success Stories

What new housing units are built in Georgia? More than 75% is site-built single family 60 to 65% is site-built single-family 50% to 75% is manufactured housing

Important Sectors of the Workforce Choose NOT to Live in Rural Communities §From the Town Hall meetings - Teachers and industry upper management don’t live in the county of the employment. §In 2 of the 3 industries we surveyed none of the managers lived in the county.

From the Town Hall meetings: Lack of knowledge about existing programs for low-income and first-time home buyers From the employee surveys: 86% had no knowledge about programs to help them rent or buy housing Most Know Little About Housing Programs

From the Town Hall meetings and GEDA survey: Land and infrastructure isn’t available for subdivisions. The profit margin for building affordable housing is low; volume is important. The major reasons consumers have trouble qualifying for traditional financing is credit worthiness. Important Barriers to Increasing the Supply of Affordable Housing

A Coalition is Needed to Address Georgia’s Workforce Housing Issues

Policy Recommendations

Establish a development fund Co-sponsor federal legislation to widen the income eligibility requirements for Low Income Housing Tax Credit Improve enforcement of building codes; consider a matching grant program Provide incentives for projects that preserve and rehabilitate existing rental housing Increase the Supply of Quality, Low- to-Moderate Income Rental Housing

Establish a development fund Encourage employer-assisted home buyer programs Establish a public-private consortium to encourage well-planned manufactured housing developments and removal of dilapidated manufactured housing Increase the Supply of Owner- Occupied Single-Family Housing

Establish a technical assistance program at DCA to provide on-site technical expertise to local leaders and employers Urge local entities to publicize creative efforts to address housing issues Foster Locally-Based Housing Solutions

Increase the Consumer Literacy of Georgia’s Workforce Create a coordinated statewide network to provide homebuyer education and counseling Educate the workforce and community leadership on existing programs Establish a consumer education curriculum in public and private schools Increase awareness and capacity of the Landlord-Tenant Hotline Program

Enhance Housing Leadership at the Local Level Expand and refine an annual statewide housing conference Broaden housing issues training for local leaders Develop a tool kit for employers Encourage local housing professionals to participate in leadership training Involve public and private groups in identifying local barriers

§Create a statewide clearinghouse for housing data managed by the UGA HDRC in collaboration with other research centers §Develop a multi-year work plan to conduct housing research to support a state housing policy Develop Ongoing Capacity to Research, Analyze, & Develop Policy & Program Recommendations