Development and Operational Roles

NWGHA has evolved from a modest housing authority into a complex real estate development and property management corporation with varying business lines, including affordable housing, market-rate housing, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), real estate development, tax credit compliance, property management, quality resident services for youth, adults, families, and elderly, and multifaceted business operations.  NWGHA's annual budget is currently over $16 million with approximately 100 employees and two 501c3 nonprofit organizations and is comprised of these key business activities, including:

• Real Estate Development - After partnering with qualified co-developers over the last several years, NWGHA is now its own real estate developer and has the capacity to undertake the entire development process.
  
  • NWGHA's most Recent Development is the New Construction of Sandra D. Hudson Villas.
    
    • In 2018, NWGHA and co-developer Rea Ventures Group submitted an application was submitted to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs for 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. The project was awarded and was placed in service in 2022, resulting in 66 new affordable housing units.
    • Construction began in 2020 with a construction cost of over $14 million and a development transaction of over $18 million.  NWGHA is a general partner and property manager for this development.
  • NWGHA's LIHTC properties generate a combined annual revenue of over $4.9 million.
• Property Management - NWGHA owns and manages 1,301 physical housing units in Rome, Rockmart, and Cave Spring.
  • Affordable Rental Housing (LIHTC) - Families with incomes of 0% to 60% of Area Median Income pay 30% of adjusted income towards rent and utilities in NWGHA's Affordable Housing apartments located in Rome.  There are 546 LIHTC units owned and managed by NWGHA, including 433 units of Project Based Vouchers in the following communities: Willingham Village, Park Homes, Charles Hight Highrise 1, Ashland Park, and Sandra D. Hudson Villas.  All of these properties are a part of the LIHTC Program, and NWGHA must assure compliance with IRS and Georgia Department of Community Affairs requirements.
  • Public Housing - NWGHA owns, operates, and manages 650 public housing units in Rome, Rockmart, and Cave Spring, spanning across 12 locations.
  • Unsubsidized Housing - NWGHA develops, owns, and operates many forms of housing, including 86 unrestricted apartments.  The units, located at Bill Collins Village at Summerville Park and Hannah's Place Apartments, are available for families earning up to 80% AMI.
  • HOME Units - NWGHA has developed, owns and manages 19 units that were built with HOME funds. These units are reserved for families meeting the HUD HOME income limits.
• Housing Choice Voucher Program Provider - NWGHA operates the Housing Choice Voucher Program with 1,346 voucher holders in Floyd and Polk Counties.
• Resident Services Provider - NWGHA operates a robust resident services program with many successful and proven programs, including the following:
  • YouthBuild
  • Rome Children's Academy and Rockmart Children's Academy early childhood education programs
  • Adult Education Program
  • EnVision Center
  • Project SOAR
  • Family Self Sufficiency
  • ROSS
• HAP Contract Administrator - NWHA has Project Based Voucher Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) Contracts with two properties, Etowah Terrace and Greystone in Rome, consisting of 35 units. 
• Innovation in Public Housing 
  
  • NWGHA is a Moving to Work housing authority.  Moving to Work (MTW) was created by Congress in 1996 to permit high-performing Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) such as ours to experiment in the ways that housing program services are delivered and administered.  While statutory requirements must still be adhered to under MTW, regulatory requirements can be re-configured to better meet the needs of the local community. Congress passed the MTW Expansion Act in 2016, which allows HUD to add 100 additional high-performing PHAs to the program.  In general, Moving to Work goals include expanding housing choice, improving service delivery and assisting families in making progress toward goals.  However, HUD has added the 100 new PHAs through five different "cohorts".  NWGHA was approved for MTW under Cohort #4, which tests whether different incentives to landlords are more likely to attract landlords to the Housing Choice Voucher program. 
  • HUD Choice Neighborhood Planning and Action Grant was awarded in 2019. NWGHA received $1.25 million from HUD approval to create a Community Transformation Plan for its largest public housing development, John Graham Homes in the East Rome area, and in partnership with the City of Rome. The process took over two years and involved an extensive amount of community and partner outreach, working closely with the neighborhood's residents to translate their vision for their immediate community into a viable transformation plan.