Early Housing

Housing. It’s a hot topic in the economic development world right now. A decade ago that wasn’t the case; however with the influx of people moving into the state for new businesses and job opportunities – it has become a top priority for state and local economic development leadership.

“The housing market in Georgia faces numerous challenges, from declining residential permits and housing starts to rising home prices and unsold inventory,” says Georgia Power’s Regional Economic Development Manager in the East Region, Matt Forshee. “These factors, coupled with elevated federal interest rates and inflationary pressures, have created a difficult environment for residential growth. However, there are several strategies community leaders can implement to encourage new housing development and meet the needs of their current and future residents.”

Since I know a heck of a lot more about fishing than I do housing, I’ll once again break out the “community tackle box.” Development requires planning. Preparing for that “once-in-a-lifetime catch” is just as important as getting the fish into the boat and back to the dock alive for the weigh-in. What’s in our community tackle box that can effectively “fish out” a housing plan for the present and future Early County workforce?

Forshee advises communities to consider “developing a comprehensive housing strategy document that looks at an assessment of housing needs, an inventory of existing housing stock, an inventory of growth areas that optimize existing infrastructure, goals that align to community needs, stakeholders and community partners who can implement the plan, and specific actions, timelines and steps to achieve those goals in the community.”

Through the Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH) program, the City of Blakely has made steps to plan for affordable workforce housing options. If you were at the public hearing for Blakely’s Urban Redevelopment Plan last week, you received an intermediate level crash course in community housing.

Often I drive around town and I look at the housing. Blakely has beautiful older houses, and many that have fallen into disrepair possess the potential to be attractive and suitable housing for anyone. I would say there is a high percentage of these historic houses that have sat vacant the vast majority of my life – and as someone who values the integrity of historic architecture and carpentry, it’s very difficult to see them waste away instead of regaining a purpose to house the future hopes and dreams of the community.

Now, I admit to not being an expert on housing and I know construction and rehabilitation costs are expensive; however, I do have just enough experience in older properties to know they can serve multiple purposes in communities. And hopefully, y’all know me well enough by now to know I’m of the mindset that absolutely anything is possible.

It makes me wonder how the underutilized housing stock can be activated to solve our housing challenges? I’m 100 percent for new construction – but I’m also creative enough to see what the vacant “blighted” houses can become with enough community-invested ownership and appropriate rehabilitation. Once again, planning is a huge factor in aligning suitable options that can not only tackle housing, but other “areas of opportunity” such as blight, vacancy, unemployment, public safety, providing quality jobs, recreation for youth and families and ultimately providing a more bonded sense of place for Blakely.

Overall, housing is something that both the private and public sectors must work together to address. The good news is our leadership has already started planning for our community’s growth by strategically preparing to meet the housing needs.

If you are concerned or interested in affordable housing options for the local workforce, I encourage you to review the Urban Redevelopment Plan and Blakely Housing Assessment located at www.cityofblakely.net. Based on where the community would like to be in another five years and the data presented, let’s find a solution to a good mix of housing for all who want to live and work in Early County.

Shared with permission from The Early County News