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GICH representative briefs Ware County commissioners on affordable‑housing work, Vine Street Village LIHTC award
Summary
Ken Taft of the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing told the Ware County Board on March 9 that GICH is helping Waycross pursue tools like LIHTC, CDBG and CHIP; he said the city won an LIHTC award for the 53‑unit Vine Street Village and that a housing assessment (not done in 25 years) is underway.
Ken Taft of the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH) told the Ware County Board of Commissioners on March 9 that the GICH program offers three years of technical assistance, training and collaboration to help communities pursue affordable‑housing projects. He said GICH helps communities submit support letters for Low‑Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) developments, apply annually for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding and earn additional points in the Community Home Investment Program (CHIP) competitive scoring.
Taft named several existing LIHTC projects in the area — the Bunn Building, Ocean Breeze, Ware Hotel, Waring Apartments, Ware Manor, Peachwood Place and Westport Village — and said the city of Waycross remains below the national average for homeownership and has an older housing stock than state and national averages. Taft emphasized that housing costs are generally advised not to exceed 30% of household income as a threshold for affordability.
Taft updated the commission on the GICH committee’s organizational work: the team approved bylaws, formed subcommittees for policy and education, community engagement, and project review and recruitment, and attended 2025 retreats. He said the Georgia Department of Community Affairs awarded Waycross a LIHTC project, Vine Street Village, a 53‑unit apartment complex. Taft also said the committee is working with the Waycross‑Ware County Development Authority on a housing assessment — the first in about 25 years — and is preparing a 2026 LIHTC application. He thanked the commission for its support.
The presentation provided local officials with technical options they can pursue at the regular meeting level and through partnerships with state programs; Taft said GICH plans additional outreach and a work plan to address housing needs in the community.
