Last year, the U.
S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD and the U.
S.
Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a joint program aimed at promoting affordable housing that also offered easy access to public transportation.
The goal was to make it easier for low-income residents to access things like health services, education and employment opportunities.
Several cities and states have already received funding through the new initiative.
Add Georgia to the list of states receiving an award from the first-of-its-kind collaboration between the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation.
Several press releases were issued late last year, announcing awards to numerous states and communities, and Georgia is included on that list.
By joining forces, HUD and DOT hope to encourage effective integration of affordable housing and transportation.
Often, affordable housing developments are located far enough away from viable employment opportunities that residents are unable to get to them.
The combined awards offered by HUD and DOT can only be used on projects that address both issues: affordable housing and transportation.
Georgia will receive over $2.
5 million in funding from HUD/DOT.
Most of it will go to the Augusta-Richmond County Planning Commission, the City of Augusta, Augusta Tomorrow, Inc.
, and Augusta State University.
The largest chunk of the money will go to Augusta-Richmond County, and will be used for its Augusta Sustainable Development Implementation Program.
The August-Richmond County Planning Commission has yet to announce specifics of its project.
Developers are encouraged to contact the Commission for additional information.