DCA proposes budget consolidation, requests $902,279 for regional commissions

Department of Community Affairs officials told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development that their FY 2026 proposal collapses 13 program budgets into seven and requests a $902,279 increase in the community services program to provide pass-through funds to regional commissions.

The change is primarily a presentation and administrative consolidation, the DCA representative said, aligning budget lines with the agency’s internal organization and the shift to the NextGen accounting system. DCA proposes separate program budgets for building construction, historic preservation, state economic development programs and the accountable housing initiative; several smaller program lines would be combined into a community services budget, and housing programs would be grouped into a housing initiatives budget.

“For about seven years we have been working on a plan to really consolidate or improve the way that we present and administer our budget,” the DCA presenter said. The department identified the substantive request in the community services program at line 16.3.0.4: an increase of $902,279 for pass-through funds to the state’s 12 regional commissions.

DCA told the committee the department administers roughly 70 to 80 different programs and draws significant federal funding. On the state side, DCA cited these state-dollar totals: building construction about $315,000; historic preservation about $1.8 million; state economic development programs roughly $13.7 million; and state-side housing programs about $7.8 million. The community services bucket includes about $9 million in state funds and substantial additional federal funds, the department said.

The department said the 12 regional commissions cumulatively receive about $2 million total for comprehensive planning work, especially in rural areas, and that many commissions also assist communities in applying for and administering grants that draw down federal and state dollars.

Committee members asked how federal funding cuts would affect consolidated lines and whether the reorganization will produce cost savings. DCA told the committee federal cuts would mainly affect items that are largely federally funded — including building construction and many housing programs — and that consolidation is intended to produce administrative efficiencies rather than immediate large dollar savings.

The DCA representative also summarized housing-related federal funds (line 16.11), saying homeownership programs operate on bond funding through the Georgia Housing Finance Authority and that other housing programs draw heavily on HOME funds, Housing Choice Vouchers and emergency solutions grants administered with federal support.

The department said it will share further details on presentation changes on request and will follow up on specific committee questions.