Wednesday, December 11, 2024–12:30 p.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
The Rome City Commission has approved an agreement with the Northwest Georgia Housing Authority for a rapid re-housing program.
The memorandum of understanding and master lease agreement is for 24 months and would allow the city access to 12 housing units to help combat the homelessness issue in the community.
“It would contemplate December of this year to December of 2026,” said Rome City Manager Sammy Rich. “Page two, as we went over, spells out under section B, sort of the lease payments, I should say. Then there is the idea that if we can re-allocate some of our prior rapid re-housing money for renovations, then we can pretty quickly get some folks into some secure housing. There are probably still a lot of questions to go, but this is simply a tool we can use as we continue to work with our community partners.”
In August 2023, the Rome City Commission voted to fully fund a two-year rapid re-housing pilot program intended to be a partnership, primarily between the two groups.
However, sewer issues in several units in the Willingham Village set aside for the program put a halt to that program.