During a housing discussion during the GMA Board of Directors meeting on June 20, 2025, Rome City Manager Sammy Rich described how his community has addressed the issue. In this follow-up Q&A, Sammy shares the steps the Rome community has taken to make housing a priority and the progress made so far.
What prompted Rome to prioritize housing as a critical issue in economic development?
Back in 2020, during our efforts through the Rome Floyd Development Authority to recruit industry and jobs, we had a "lightbulb moment" during our annual planning retreat. We realized that without available housing, we couldn't successfully attract new employers if their employees didn’t have a place to live. This realization elevated housing to the top priority of the development authority and it became a daily topic of discussion within our community.
How did the community respond to the housing challenge?
We took several steps. Our mayor appointed a housing task force, and we even allocated $1 million to be used towards incentives to encourage developers to build in Rome — something I initially thought was a bit ambitious! We also hosted a couple of housing summits, inviting developers and housing experts from metro Atlanta to share best practices and insights. Based upon our immediate feedback, it was obvious we were doing something that was not happening in other parts of the state. We felt it was very important to signal that Rome was ready and open for development.
Who were the members of the task force?
The task force was a mixed group of real estate agents, developers, representatives of several social service agencies, and basically any interested party in housing. The task force worked to address immediate issues and concerns about anything that was seen as a hindrance to housing. The group was initially very active and then faded away as more and more projects began to show up.
Tell us about the summits.
The housing summits were very helpful to hear about the other types of development that was occurring, specifically where cottage court style projects, tiny home communities, and generally anything seen as progressive. The entire effort created a lot of momentum that really helped get everyone on the same page with a focus for housing.
There was a great deal of debate among the task force in an attempt to address what is workforce or “affordable” housing. What I have learned is that what we find to be affordable housing in Rome, may be seen as something completely different in another market around the state.
What were the incentives that were implemented?
One of the initial ideas was to waive the water and sewer tap fees for housing. Ultimately, we decided to not waive the fees as we operate our water and sewer division as a self-sustaining enterprise fund. We ended up funding the connections for three separate projects from the initial million dollars that was allocated. As more and more projects continued to pour in, the city commission ultimately decided to reallocate the incentive money to other projects.
What progress has been made since initiating these efforts?
Our efforts have paid off. We now have about 6,000 new housing units in the pipeline across Floyd County, with roughly 4,200 within Rome itself. The total number reflects the projects that we currently know about, assuming there could be others that we have yet to see. Developers are approaching us, recognizing that we're serious about housing. This was a significant shift from the past, where that kind of interest was minimal.
What challenges remain, particularly regarding affordable housing?
Affordability remains a sticking point. We've had intense debates about what "affordable" really means because, frankly, what gets labeled as affordable often doesn’t feel that way to the average person. We're still working on solutions here, but partnerships with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) have been invaluable. We've leveraged every available DCA program to support these efforts to help supply workforce housing.
A key ingredient for our community has been the Rome Floyd Land Bank Authority. We actually invested $1 million into our landbank to stimulate activity, and they continue to produce outstanding results.
What’s been the reaction to these efforts from stakeholders and the public more generally?
There has been a lot of conversation around housing in the community. As we all know, often rezoning of property can become a contentious issue and we have dealt with some of those situations as we have worked to stimulate more housing within the city. We have a good mix of single and multifamily and believe the market will continue to settle out what is deemed affordable, and that the supply and demand will reach a good equilibrium for our community.
What advice do you have for other communities facing similar housing challenges?
Two things. First, political will is critical. Having city elected leadership committed to addressing housing makes all the difference.
Second, don’t underestimate the role of a local land bank authority. In Rome, our land bank has quietly facilitated the infill of residential homes, injecting $6 million of property back onto the market and revitalizing neglected neighborhoods.
What's been the key takeaway with the city's efforts?
Public investment attracts private investment—that’s the key takeaway.