Three Georgia cities receive $6.3M in infrastructure development grants

(The Center Square) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced more than $6.3 million in grants for infrastructure development to three Georgia cities as part of the Rural Workforce Housing Initiative.

Kemp, a Republican, announced the Rural Workforce Housing Initiative in his 2023 State of the State Address. It ostensibly helps spur the development of “critically needed workforce housing” in Georgia communities.

State lawmakers included $35.7 million in the amended fiscal 2023 budget, which Kemp signed into law in March 2023, to start the initiative and an additional $50 million in the amended fiscal 2024 budget that Kemp signed earlier this year. Officials say that the latest tranche of funding will support more than 123 housing units in the three communities.

“We have already seen a great response to the Rural Workforce Housing program, and this latest round of grants will further strengthen communities experiencing incredible economic growth,” Kemp said in a statement. “To ensure the people of our state can live where they work, the amended budget I signed earlier this year included $50 million … for this program and will be included in the budget for years to come.”

The city of Louisville will see a more than $2.2 million infrastructure grant and contribute money to improve water, sewer, street and drainage in the 18-acre Chestnut Subdivision. Officials said this will allow 46 new homes and townhomes to be built in two phases, which Molly’s Food and Fuel, Louisville, will oversee.

A more than $1.6 million grant will go to the city of Lyons for various Parker Place Subdivision infrastructure improvements. Stockyard Properties will build 27 homes in the 14.5-acre subdivision, and the city will also contribute to the project’s cost of more than $1.7 million.

Another $2.5 million will go to the city of Savannah for sewer improvements to finish the 66-acre Legacy Development, which will support 30 P3JVG-built single-family homes and 20 P3JVG-built townhomes. The city and the developer will contribute to the total cost of more than $3.1 million.