When the Georgia Department of Community Affairs awards Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) financing to support an affordable housing development, the State likes to see that its investment will spur benefits for the whole neighborhood surrounding a proposed development. Developers, such as IDP Properties in Valdosta, can foster that goal by creating a Community Transformation Plan for the neighborhood where they intend to develop new housing.

The Community Transformation Plan that Mosaic led for the South Valdosta neighborhood involved facilitation of a series of steering committee meetings, holding multiple public meetings, and conducting a resident survey. This community input was used to identify and propose challenges residents face in accessing health, education, transportation, and employment resources. After identifying those needs, Mosaic guided the steering committee in devising measurable, action-oriented strategies to better connect residents with resources in these areas. Mosaic’s process is closely aligned with the state’s requirements, ensuring our developer client can make a strong case for the highly competitive tax credit funding. Just as important, our approach seeks out and bolsters the utility of existing neighborhood assets resulting in an efficient and effective implementation plan for the local partners.