In late 2016, the City of Dublin was selected to participate in Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH). During the three-year program, a team of representatives from local government, businesses, and nonprofits will focus on revitalizing Dublin’s in-town residential neighborhoods.
Dublin’s community housing team hit the ground running in February, attending a three-day retreat in Albany, GA. During the retreat the team received education on major issues effecting communities across Georgia when it comes to providing quality, affordable housing. They also heard case studies from several cities going through the GICH program and took part in facilitated work sessions to set goals for Dublin’s housing initiatives over the next few years.
“By participating in the program, the Dublin GICH Team will receive 3 years of training and technical housing assistance to help develop and implement a locally based community housing plan. I love that the program encourages cross-community collaboration and communication and brings us together to discuss critical issues and needs facing our community, such as the need to eradicate slum and blight and provide “quality” affordable housing in order to improve and preserve the character of our neighborhoods,” says Deborah Stanley, Community Development Coordinator for the City of Dublin.
The first of several goals set by the housing team was to complete a housing needs assessment for the City of Dublin, a comprehensive study of areas in the City with greatest need.
“The assessment will assist City staff and officials and our GICH team in knowing exactly what our housing needs are and help focus our efforts on our most critical needs and problems, as well as aid in developing appropriate programs and strategies to address them,” says Stanley.
In addition to the housing assessment, the GICH team will hold a Landlord Forum next week. This forum will be an opportunity for residential property owners, managers, and realtors to talk to Dublin’s housing team about their needs as a landlord and hear about the goals set by the GICH team.
Information gathered during the Landlord Forum will be used to formulate a plan going forward on how the housing team can best assist landlords and property managers meet the needs of their tenants.
The Landlord Forum will be Tuesday, March 28th at 6:00 pm at the Dublin Carnegie in downtown and is open to all residential property owners, managers, and realtors. Interested landlords may contact Deborah Stanley or Katy Morton to RSVP or to learn more at (478) 277-5076.
