ATLANTA (July 10, 2024) – The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) announced today the Georgia Supportive Housing Institute. The partnership between DCA and Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) will allow communities and stakeholders to build capacity and knowledge to create housing for residents with supportive service needs.

Georgia is the first state in the Southeast to implement the Supportive Housing Institute, a signature CSH program designed to kick start supportive housing projects. It joins 15 other states that have used the Institute to advance supportive housing in their communities. Supportive housing combines affordable housing with quality services that help people with additional needs to live with stability, autonomy, and dignity.

Applications will open in early August 2024 for interested groups to take part in a five-month training series to deepen their expertise on the process of developing and operating supportive housing. The application will be open to affordable housing developers, property managers, service providers, and other interested stakeholders.

Institute sessions will start in Fall 2024 with a curriculum that provides a 360-degree view of supportive housing. Topics include, among others, integrating services into a property, resident-centered programming and developing sustainable capital and operating budgets.

Hosting the Georgia Supportive Housing Institute is a clear response to community feedback, identifying the need for the Department of Community Affairs to play a role in strengthening the state network of well-trained supportive housing partnerships.

“The Supportive Housing Institute will allow Georgia’s housing development ecosystem to strengthen its muscle by bolstering housing for residents with supportive service needs,” Phillip Gilman, Deputy Commissioner for Housing Assistance and Development at the Department of Community Affairs, said. “Staying apprised of the latest information and best practices helps DCA and our stakeholders further our commitment to building strong communities with several fair and affordable housing options.”

The application process for the Georgia Supportive Housing Institute is competitive. Interested parties may apply as individuals or as a team. Teams must be cross-functional and may consist of a combination of affordable housing developers, property managers, service providers, and/or other community leaders.

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs will be hosting two information sessions for prospective applicants. The hour-long virtual sessions will be conducted on:

· Thursday, August 8, 2024, at 10:00 am; and

· Monday, August 19, 2024, at 1:00 pm.

Please register for these information sessions at this link.

August 8 – Information Session

August 19 – Information Session

Teams selected to participate in the Institute will be expected to work toward a specific development proposal that contributes to the supportive housing pipeline in Georgia. Teams may be eligible for a special funding opportunity in 2025 as well as a quality supportive housing endorsement from Corporation for Supportive Housing.

There will be a limited number of slots for individual attendees. Solo participants will gain valuable networking connections during the Institute’s runtime but will not receive the added benefits of joining as a team.

For a detailed view of what to expect, who should attend, and how you can benefit from the Georgia Supportive Housing Institute, please click here. More information about application deadlines for the Georgia Supportive Housing Institute will be released in the coming weeks.

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About the Department of Community Affairs

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) partners with communities to build strong and vibrant neighborhoods, commercial and industrial areas through community and economic development, local government assistance, and safe and affordable housing. Using state and federal resources, DCA helps communities spur private job creation, implement planning, develop downtowns, generate affordable housing solutions, and promote volunteerism. DCA also helps qualified Georgians with low and moderate incomes buy homes, rent housing, and prevent foreclosure and homelessness. For more information, visit www.dca.ga.gov.

About Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH)

CSH (Corporation for Supportive Housing) advances affordable and accessible housing aligned with services by advocating for effective policies and funding, equitably investing in communities, and strengthening the supportive housing field. Since our founding in 1991, CSH has been the only national nonprofit intermediary focused solely on increasing the availability of supportive housing. Over the course of our work, we have created more than 467,600 units of affordable and supportive housing and distributed over $1.5 billion in loans and grants. Our workforce is central to accomplishing this work. We employ approximately 180 people across 30 states and U.S. Territories. As an intermediary, we do not directly develop or operate housing but center our approach on collaboration with a wide range of people, partners, and sectors. For more information, visit www.csh.org.