Innovation and Compassion abound as Northwest Georgia Housing Authority and Community Leadership Set Bar for Affordable Housing and Self-Sufficiency

Job Fair hosted by NWGHA attracted hundreds to employment opportunities throughout the state.

New two bedroom single family home in Joe Wright Village part of an innovative 24 unit affordable housing community in Rome.

Regional Administrator Denise Cleveland Leggett holds a baby at the NWGHA's Rome Montessori Childrens Academy.

Innovation and strong leadership in public housing is rarely seen and experienced to the degree evidenced during a recent Northwest Georgia Housing Authority tour and open house attended by HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Denise Cleveland-Leggett in Rome, Georgia. From start to finish "WoW" moments abounded as Sandra Hudson, housing authority executive director, lead the tour that was highlighted by the housing authority's own version of an EnVision Center, a concept promoted by HUD Secretary Ben Carson as foundational to effectively changing the trajectory of public housing residents from long term tenants to high school and college graduates and potential homeowners. Having met with Secretary Carson in October of last year Hudson has worked diligently to help fulfill her vision of helping residents help themselves through the adult education classes, Performance Learning Center as well as the community lead job fair during the tour that was attended by hundreds of local community members and housing authority residents with local and area businesses. The housing authority's Montessori School and day care tour of services provided a concrete and emotionally moving glimpse of the value of much needed childcare for working spouses. Another extraordinary humanistic component and approach to self-sufficiency is the SOAR Program which is a HUD funded demonstration program focused on striving to provide hope and opportunity for housing authority high school age students to attend college or vocational technical schools by providing one on one counseling while also working with respective families, local high school, vocational and college counselors. The educational navigator for the effort is led by Elaina Beeman who is working hard helping children in the 9th through 12 grades better visualize themselves graduating from high school attending college or vocational school, find funding and receiving help through the application process and hopefully eventually attending. This year four such students were assisted and were admitted to college.

"What Northwest Georgia Housing Authority is achieving is amazing and indicative of their commitment to help those they serve help themselves through their own EnVision Center, Project SOAR Program, Montessori School and innovative affordable housing initiatives as we witnessed at the beautiful Joe Wright Village of Homes," said Cleveland Leggett. "They are demonstrating through an evidenced base approach that housing authorities can truly change lives, and this is definitely the intent of Secretary Carson and HUD."

"Once I can reach them, I can teach them that life does not end it just begins when they graduate from high school and just really help them dream," said Beeman. "We are also so excited for our high school students as Georgia Northwest Technical College's Youth Success Program provides our high school graduates up to 300 hours of paid employment while attending training sites and can help serve to fund their efforts to go to school as I also help them through the FAFSA process."

Northwest Georgia Housing Authority's holistic and innovative approach to self-sufficiency and housing affordability is making a difference in the lives of those they serve one person one family at a time.

Project SOAR (Students + Opportunities + Achievements = Results)) is a new demonstration program reflecting HUD's commitment to expand educational services to youth living in HUD-assisted housing. Research shows there are large gaps in college attendance by family income that are not driven by level of preparation. A key barrier to college attendance is that low-income youth are least likely to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) even though they are most in need of financial aid.

The ROSS for Education program provides grant funding to public housing authorities to deploy education navigators to provide individualized assistance to public housing youth between the ages of 15-20 and their families in FAFSA completion, financial literacy and college readiness, post-secondary program applications and post-acceptance assistance. Northwest georgia Housing Authority was awarded in late 2016 $100,000 to help fund the SOAR Demonstration program and is the only housing authority in the state to be awarded the grant.

"Housing assistance should be more than just putting a roof over someone's head," said Secretary Carson. "These EnVision Centers offer a more holistic housing approach by connecting HUD-assisted families with the tools they need to become self-sufficient and to flourish."

HUD's EnVision Centers demonstration is premised on the notion that financial support alone is insufficient to solve the problem of poverty. Intentional and collective efforts across a diverse set of organizations are needed to implement a holistic approach to foster long-lasting self-sufficiency. EnVision Centers will provide communities with a centralized hub for support in the following four pillars: (1) Economic Empowerment, (2) Educational Advancement, (3) Health and Wellness, and (4) Character and Leadership.

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