The $500,000 grant is federal assistance money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the State’s CDGB Program, and awarded through the according to a press release from the Department of Community Affairs.
The CDBG program is administered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which uses funds allocated through HUD to support local initiatives that focus on improving living conditions and economic opportunities, according to the release.
After a new building was constructed for the Tallatoona Community Action Partnership in Gordon County, the VAC is next on the list for renovations, and will be the first privately owned grant awarded through Gordon County.
“The county simply helps them get access to the state and federal money, the counties only contribution to this project, we have to do a match, of $10,000, so there will be money going to project,” said Gordon County Administrator Randy Dowling.
The grant application was drawn up and submitted April 2, 2012, and was announced by Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Mike Beatty.
“The state Community Development Block Grant program provides an essential resource to Georgia’s smaller more rural communities in their efforts to support projects that will create jobs and assist low- and moderate-income citizens. As communities large and small are making difficult choices, today’s announcement represents an important investment in various local health and safety, economic development and job creation programs, helping preserve Georgia’s quality of life,” said Beatty.
Recently, the VAC added the community kitchen to the small campus through the monetary donations from organizations such as the Calhoun Woman’s Club, First Methodist Church, the Mohawk Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield and many others, according to Stacy Long, Executive Director of the VAC.
Plans originally outlines the construction of the community kitchen with the grant money, but due to the generosity of the community, the grant money will now be used for a full renovation of the rest of the buildings.
Renovations to the building will allow the VAC to offer training services for people in the community coming to the VAC for assistance, which gave the VAC’s application an edge, according to Long.
The renovations are planned to come in three phases, according to Long in a previous interview in April, just after the completion of the application process.
After renovations are completed the building will include a day shelter, ceilings in the VAC offices for confidentiality purposes, client restrooms, parking lot updates to prevent flooding, and training facilities.
The grant awarded for the VAC is one of many totaling more than $173 million awarded over 74 counties in Georgia for projects such as the upgrading of water supplies, the provision of basic sewer services, health facilities, senior citizen facilities, flood and drainage improvements and other neighborhood revitalization projects.
Additionally, more than 550 jobs will be created with the grant process and economic development projects going on across the state.
For more information regarding Georgia’s CDBG awards, please visit DCA’s website at http://www.dca.ga.gov/communities/CDBG/programs/CDBG.asp or contact DCA Deputy Commissioner Brian Williamson at (404) 679-1587 or brian.williamson@dca.ga.gov.
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