II. Application: How to Participate 33 34 APPLICATION FOR PARTICIPATION – 2012 SECTION A ― APPLICANT AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION 1. Name of Applicant: ___________________________________________________ 2. Address: ____________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 3. Primary Contact Person: ________________________________________________ 4. Email Address: _______________________________________________________ 5. Telephone: _________________________ Fax: ____________________________ 6. Secondary Contact Person: ______________________________________ 7. Email Address: _______________________Fax: __________________________ 8. Telephone: _________________________________________ 9. Indicate who is the Team Leader: Primary Contact or Secondary Contact 10. Funding Source(s) and Amount Allocated for Travel and Lodging Expenses: Funding Source Funding Amount Funding Status (Requested or allocated) 35 SECTION B ― COMMUNITY HOUSING INFORMATION 11. Community Housing Team Members: (pages 2-3) Housing Industry Groups City government – elected official City government – staff County government (if applicable) – elected official County government - (if applicable) - staff Bank Real Estate Builder/Developer Nonprofit organizations Habitat for Humanity Public housing authority Local school system Name Title Affiliation Signature Indicating Agreement to Participate 36 Housing Industry Groups Regional Commission /Planning Agency Chamber of Commerce Cooperative Extension Family Connections Resident/citizen Faith-based organization Planning/Zoning/Historic Preservation Board Economic Development/ Downtown Development/Urban Redevelopment/Land Bank Authority Other Name Title Affiliation Signature Indicating Agreement to Participate 37 12. Evidence of local government support; evidence of other local support (attach letters, local government resolutions, and other actions): 13. Describe the primary housing issues facing the community (you may attach one additional sheet to respond to this section): 38 14. Describe housing activities successfully completed or currently underway or any other previous housing efforts in the community, including applications made for funding (such as CHIP, CDBG, LIHTC, etc). (you may attach one additional sheet to respond to this section): 15. Does the City government have the following: 1. Building Inspection Staff No Yes If yes, how many positions (full-time equivalent)? ______________ 2. Yes Code Enforcement Staff No If yes, how many positions (full-time equivalent)? ______________ 3. Zoning Ordinance No Yes 4. Subdivision Ordinance No Yes 5. Urban Redevelopment Plan (O.C.G.A 36-61-1) No Yes 16. Does the County government have the following: 1. Yes Building Inspection Staff No If yes, how many positions (full-time equivalent)? ______________ 2. Code Enforcement Staff No Yes If yes, how many positions (full-time equivalent)? ______________ 3. Zoning Ordinance No Yes 4. Subdivision Ordinance No Yes 39 17. Does your community have a land bank authority? No Yes 18. Has your community completed a housing needs assessment in the past three years? No Yes If yes, please describe the scope, target area, funding, etc. 19. Has your community worked with your Regional Commission on community Yes development activities in the past 5 years? No If yes, please describe: 20. Briefly describe why the community wishes to participate in the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing and what you expect as an outcome from your community’s participation. (you may attach one additional sheet to respond to this section) SECTION C ― CERTIFICATION To the best of my knowledge the information in this application is true and correct. If selected, the Community Housing Team will participate fully in the Initiative sessions. By checking the “Yes” box, the official representative of the applicant certifies these statements. Date: ______________________________ Yes Name of official representative (please print): _________________________________ Title: ____________________________________________________________ 40 Application Instructions - 2012 Before completing the application form, please review the instructions. Questions regarding this application form or the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing should be directed to Dr. Karen Tinsley at 706-542-4949 or by email at klt@uga.edu. Webinar It is not required, but applicants are strongly encouraged to attend an informational webinar on July 12, 2012 at 9:30 am and will receive preference over equally deserved applicants that do not. Please RSVP by July 11th to Karen Tinsley. Letter of Intent It is not required, but applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a letter of intent to apply and will receive preference over equally deserved applicants that do not. This letter should be sent to Karen Tinsley via email or by mail to the “submittal” address listed on page 9 no later than July 31, 2012. Please include: name, title, affiliation, telephone number, and email address of the person who will assume responsibility for pre-application communication. The initial point of contact person may be different from the primary contact for the application as listed in line 3-5. Written Application Line 1- 2 Provide the name and address of the organization applying for participation. The applicant organization should be the lead agency/fiscal agent for the Community Housing Team. The applicant organization must be a City or County government or public housing authority. Line 3-8 Provide the name and contact information of the primary person (line 3-5) and the secondary person (lines 6-8) that will be the contact for activities of the Community Housing Team and questions about the application. Line 9 Indicate which person will be Team Leader. The Team Leader is expected to be committed to the full three year life of the program and to coordinate team meeting arrangements, work schedules, fiscal matters, and to generally keep the team on task and motivated. Line 10 There is no charge for participation in Initiative activities. However, communities must cover travel and lodging costs for its housing team members to participate in the planning retreats and associated activities. There are many ways in which these costs can be covered. For example, each team member might have their costs covered by the organization which they represent (e.g., City, County, housing 41 authority, chamber of commerce, private business, church, or nonprofit). The community might also wish to raise funds locally or a single entity (e.g., local government, financial institution or chamber of commerce) might be willing to cover this cost. The section should indicate how the community anticipates covering these costs and the status of that funding. The estimated costs per team member will be: Yearly Travel Costs: Costs will consist of travel to two, one and one-half- or two-day retreats including one or two overnight stays for each retreat (depending on distance from your community), and meals. Lunches will be provided during the retreat but not dinners. Most hotels offer continental breakfast. For initial cost planning purposes, assume that conference hotel rooms will cost $90 per night. Other Costs: Any costs incurred by the Community Housing Team during its work at home, between retreat sessions, will be the responsibility of the community. These costs should be negligible and based on decisions the team makes about meetings involving meals, local staff time devoted to meetings and meeting preparation, and other related expenses. Those costs and funding sources do not need to be included on this application form. Line 11 List the members of the Community Housing Team. These will be the people who attend the Initiative activities and who are committed to working on the community’s housing issues. The teams will normally consist of 15 to 20 individuals and include representatives from local government, business (particularly banks, real estate, and builders/developers), nonprofit housing organizations, and the public housing authority. If you have more than one individual from any group, include them in “other.” Other groups that might be included, depending on your community, are faith-based organizations, churches, development authorities, chamber of commerce, school system, major employers, and law enforcement. In addition to giving the person’s name, title, and organizational affiliation, each person is required to sign the application. If someone has not yet confirmed but has been invited, write “invited” in the signature column for that person. Broad community representation and dedicated member participation on the housing team is vital to developing and implementing an effective housing plan. Participating communities are encouraged to send their full housing teams to each retreat. In reality, it is not always practical for every member to travel to each retreat. In fact, the team may have members that never attend the retreats, but participate in local meetings and events. It is imperative, however, that each team has a core group of 8 to 12 members that are dedicated to attending the retreats for the full three year program. Lack of continuous participation of at least several members is detrimental to the team’s success. Line 12 Indicate the extent of local support that this undertaking has in the community. Evidence of local government support includes allocations of budgeted funds, pledges of staff support, letters of support, and Council/Commission resolutions. Other types of local support would include pledges of funds and/or staff support, letters of support, and in-kind support such as meeting space and food. 42 Line 13 Describe the primary housing issues facing the community. You may attach one additional page. You may also attach completed housing studies, maps or other information that may be helpful for the selection committee. The description included in the application does not commit the community’s housing team to identifying the issues described as the primary problems or key objectives for their work. It will, however, give the reviewers an idea of the types of issues that are currently identified as central to the community’s housing needs. Line 14 Describe housing activities successfully completed or currently underway or any other previous housing efforts in the community, including applications made for funding (such as CHIP, CDBG, LIHTC, etc). Activities described might include neighborhood rehabilitation efforts, rehabilitation of public housing units, concentrated code enforcement efforts, and construction of new affordable housing. You may attach one additional page to respond to this section. Line 15-16 Indicate whether or not the City and County governments have building inspection and/or code enforcement staff, a zoning ordinance, subdivision controls and an Urban Redevelopment Plan. Line 17-19 Indicate whether or not your community has a land bank authority, has completed a housing needs assessment in the past three years, and has had worked with the Regional Commission in the past five years. Line 20 This section provides you with an opportunity to explain why your community wishes to participate in the Initiative, what you hope to achieve by participating, and what strengths the community brings to the process that will increase the likelihood that this will be a positive and useful experience for the community. You may attach one additional page to respond to this section. Certification An official of the applicant organization must certify that the information is correct and that the community will assemble a housing team and fully participate in the program if chosen. The certifying official should be a responsible official of the organization (i.e., Mayor or City Manager of the City or County government). (Paper) Submittal Text pages (excluding attachments) should be on 8 1/2 x 11 (letter size) paper, using a minimum 12-point font size. Application packets must be stapled or clipped in the top left corner. Do not bind applications. Submit hard copy application packet along with all required attachments to: Georgia Initiative for Community Housing – Selection Committee Attention: Karen Tinsley Housing and Demographics Research Center University of Georgia 205 Dawson Hall Athens, GA 30602-2622 43 (Electronic) Submittal will be accepted and should be sent to klt@uga.edu. All attachments must be scanned and incorporated into the application as one PDF document. Scan pages 2 & 3 with housing team members’ signatures and import into application file. If you have trouble sending the file (e.g. file too big), or if you want to verify that it was received, call 706.542.4949. Deadline Date Your application must be received (via email, mail or hand delivery) by the Housing and Demographics Research Center by 5:00 PM on Friday September 7, 2012 to be considered for participation in the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing. Late proposals will not be accepted. Schedule of Events Event Date(s) Application Announcement June 4, 2012 GMA 2012 Annual Convention, Savannah Visit the GICH Booth in the Exhibit Hall June 23 at 3:30 – 5:30pm or June 24 at 9:00am -1:30pm Informational Webinar RSVP by July 10, 2012 by calling or emailing Karen Tinsley 706.542.4949 klt@uga.edu July 12, 2012 (9:30am) Letter of Intent Due July 31, 2012 Application Due September 7, 2012 Site Visits to Finalist Communities October 29 – November 2, 2012 Selection Announcement November 15, 2012 Pre-retreat Orientation Meeting Set local meetings for January 2013 First Retreat February 2013 Second Retreat August or September 2013 44 Mike Beatty, Commissioner For Immediate Release November 28, 2011 DCA CONTACT: Cynthia Harrison, (404) 502-6176 PROGRAM CONTACT: Karen Tinsley (706) 542-4949 Five New Communities Chosen to Participate in GICH The Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH) announced the selection of five Georgia communities – Gainesville, Garden City, Harlem, Wadley and Warner Robins - to participate in a threeyear program developed to assist them with their housing needs. GICH is a partnership of the Housing and Demographics Research Center at the University of Georgia and the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, and the Georgia Municipal Association. The three year program is partially funded by the Georgia Power Company, with additional financial support provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, and Wells Fargo. The Georgia Electric Membership Corporation, the University of Georgia Archway Partnership, and the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government also provide in-kind services to support the Initiative. "The quality and appearance of a communities’ housing sets the tone for the community. As you drive by the city limits, and see attractive homes and yards, you immediately form a positive image of the community as a whole,” said Tom Rodgers, Director of Housing at UGA’s HDRC. “It is our hope that GICH will help communities set a positive image for their community." During GICH’s three-year program, each community housing team will receive facilitation, instruction, and technical assistance as they design and implement a housing program to improve both the quality of life of its citizens and the communities’ economic conditions. The centerpiece of the Initiative is a series of retreats, where each housing team will work separately with a facilitator/housing professional, as well as engage in cross-community sharing and collaboration. Communities will have access to technical assistance and receive continuous feedback throughout the three-year program. “Housing plays a key role in the economic viability and development of communities,” said Mike Beatty, DCA Commissioner. “The local communities that are participating in this initiative have taken an important first step that will help them meet their unique housing needs." Any city, county, or public housing authority in Georgia is eligible to apply on behalf of a community housing team. The teams consist of about twelve members and include representatives from local government, business (banks, real estate, and builders/developers), nonprofit housing organizations, and the public housing authority. Other groups may include faith-based organizations, churches, development authorities, chambers of commerce, school system, major employers, and law enforcement agencies. 45 "Nothing is more important to a community's viability and quality of life than having an adequate supply of decent, safe and affordable housing," said Jim Higdon, GMA Executive Director. "We applaud the local governments selected to participate in this program for their commitment to involve a broad crosssection of their community to address this critical issue." The new communities join those entering the second and third years of the program: Auburn, Berrien County, Eatonton, Sylvania, and Washington and Americus/Sumter County, Covington, Gray/Jones County, Thomson/McDuffie County, and Winder respectively. In August, Brunswick, Hawkinsville, Rome, Sandersville/Tennille/Washington County, and Vienna joined twenty-one other alumni communities that have completed the program. Additional information can be found at http://www.fcs.uga.edu/hace/hdrc/gich.html. 46 Tips for participating in the GICH program GENERAL Reframe challenges into opportunities. Ultimate success and sustainability of team initiatives are directly related to commitment of team members. Must have a plan to utilize funding opportunities when they present themselves. Although communities have similar issues, every community is unique. Learn about best practices and solutions but adapt to your situation. TEAM Think about the structure of your team. Utilize one point person for communicating with GICH program coordinator for retreat registration and other logistics. Otherwise, develop co-leadership of local team. Consider having a secretary to record minutes, etc. Make sure all team members are informed and engaged, including those that are not able to travel to the retreats. Take a team tour of your city. Schedule regular, monthly meeting time to ensure the work program moves forward. Consider outside help to facilitate meetings when difficult decisions or issues arise. Cancel meetings if not needed. Develop a recruitment plan and continue to seek out new members when need arises. As team members resign, replace them with someone of similar community capacity (banker, realtor, educator, etc.) Provide orientation to new team members. Consider developing a mission or vision statement for team/initiative. LOCAL SUPPORT Share your plans and accomplishments with elected officials and citizens. Emphasize importance of housing and link to economic development. Encourage elected officials to attend retreats and actively participate at home meetings and events. Consider asking City Council for time on their agenda for quarterly progress reports. Host a GICH retreat. Visit sister cities to learn about initiatives and maintain enthusiasm. Share your story with those outside of your community too. It may help identify opportunities. Encourage broad community involvement in GICH projects and activities. Connect with other local initiatives to leverage the GICH work plan. 47 RESOURCES Look to DCA team manager for local assistance. Use listerv by sending email to GICH-L@listserv.uga.edu. Use website for retreat information, to download speaker presentations, etc. http://www.fcs.uga.edu/hace/hdrc/private/retreats.html. Use housing team member database for contact information http://www.fcs.uga.edu/hace/hdrc/gich_resources.html. Seek mentor relationships with team members from other GICH. Reach out to GICH planning committee, retreat facilitators, and DCA team managers for advice and assistance. Continue networking and attending GICH retreat sessions and other technical assistance and education workshops after graduation. Use idle time at retreats for networking. Invite GICH planning team to local meetings. Suggest topics of interest for retreats Take advantage of all GICH offerings. For example, if the retreat bus tour is not scheduled for your group, come early or stay late to participate.