After being selected recently to participate in the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH), the city of Porterdale is one step closer to improving its housing situation.

The GICH partners with the University of Georgia, Georgia Department of Community Affairs and the Georgia Municipal Association (as well as other such organizations), and offers a three-year program, the goal of which is to launch a local plan to meet housing and revitalization needs.

According to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, there were 766,725 low-to-moderate income households in the state in 2000. The website for the GICH explains that "the goal of the Initiative is to help communities address their housing and neighborhood revitalization needs through partnerships and coordinated action."

"The mayor and council have focused on improving housing stock for the past several years," said City Manager Bob Thomson.

"We are looking forward to the networking opportunities as well as access to information on how to access some of the more technical opportunities with the Federal Home Loan Bank, local lending institutions, and financing options that will increase home ownership while at the same time improving the quality of rental housing."