Thomasville has received a 2018 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grant in the amount of $750,000 from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which administers the program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Thomasville was one of 60 Georgia communities awarded this year. Thomasville will utilize this grant for water and wastewater improvements.
“Strong and prosperous communities help attract businesses and jobs,” said DCA Commissioner Christopher Nunn. “Projects like the one in Thomasville help stimulate economic development and enhance the quality of life for the whole community. CDBG is a vital community development tool for rural Georgia. This program’s impact can be felt in every corner of our state.”
Of this year’s grant awards, $38.2 million will go to infrastructure projects such as neighborhood revitalization, construction of community facilities, and water, wastewater, drainage or street improvements. An additional $2.8 million will be disbursed through the Employment Incentive Program (EIP) and the Redevelopment Fund, which together are projected to create 345 new jobs and generate $50.2 million in additional private investment.
The CDBG program supports projects in Georgia’s small and rural communities that create jobs and assist citizens with low and moderate incomes. Awards ranging from $260,000 to $1 million will be used for specific projects such as water, wastewater, drainage or street improvements, revitalization of targeted neighborhoods and construction of facilities such as health, youth and senior centers. Communities are required to complete their designated project within two years of receiving the award.
The funds will be used locally to continue improvements in the Fletcherville community. Water, wastewater street and drainage improvements, including replacing 50-year old galvanized pipe and asbestos-cement pipe, will be addressed along Fletcher Street, Andrews Street, Magnolia Street, Augusta Avenue and Lester Street. According to Wayne Newsome, City Engineer, more than 650 Thomasville residents will benefit from these improvements.
“Replacing the infrastructure in this area will greatly improve the delivery of these essential services to the Fletcherville community,” said Newsome. “In total, the project will cost more than $2.2 million. Additional funding will come from the 2012 SPLOST.”
Since 2011, the CDBG program’s investments in new and enhanced health care facilities have helped more than 30,000 Georgians gain access to improved health care services, primarily in hard-to-reach areas. Over the last eight years, the CDBG program has funded critical projects to improve water and sewer services for more than 125,000 people in rural communities. DCA has granted 59 EIP awards during the last eight award cycles to create 5,292 jobs and retain 308 more. Since 2011, EIP has generated more than $1.32 billion in private investment across the state. From 2011 to 2018, more than 12,000 children, youth and seniors have benefitted from the construction of public facilities such as community centers and Boys and Girls Clubs.
A complete list of the 2018 CDBG awards with project descriptions may be viewed at: http://www.dca.ga.gov/