FACT SHEET

While individual neighborhoods have been revitalized all over Georgia, hundreds more require additional help. Each must currently “reinvent the wheel,” as no entity provides comprehensive statewide outreach, helps organize state-supported assistance or compiles and disseminates best practices. The goal of the Living Places program is to inform, educate and train community-based organizations to use historic preservation and other neighborhood-oriented strategies and techniques to revitalize their neighborhoods and strengthen their communities. As an alternative to sprawling development, Living Places fosters quality rehabilitation of existing housing, compatible infill construction and comprehensive improvement of infrastructure in historic in-town neighborhoods.

How it works
Through Living Places, Trust staff will help community-wide organizations or city/county agencies develop the organizational and technical capacity to assist revitalization efforts in multiple neighborhoods. Using lessons learned from its 30 years of community assistance, including 20+ years of experience with the National Trust’s Main Street program, The Georgia Trust and its local partner will support revitalizing neighborhoods in areas where they are strong, offer assistance where needed and share best practices. The Trust will also create a center of information and expertise available to neighborhoods across the state.

The Trust’s local partners will include community-wide non-profit preservation and neighborhood-focused organizations, community development corporations, local governments, housing and development authorities, chambers of commerce and other related entities. These partners will lead the lead revitalization of their communities with guidance and planning support from Trust staff. The Trust’s assistance will include financial management, project financing and preservation practices.

In the fall of 2002, five cities from across the state applied to be part of the pilot program, including a local government, a housing authority, a downtown development authority, a neighborhood revitalization nonprofit organization and a local historic preservation nonprofit organization. Living Places is currently on hold pending fundraising. This diversity of applicant organizations demonstrates a wide range of appeal for the program and bodes well for its ultimate usefulness and success. Living Places will be initiated when sufficient funding to support program efforts is secured.

Information:       Glen Bennett          404-885-7804          

Updated 7/12/04