Atlanta, GA. (July 2, 2025)– The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has awarded the cities of Cuthbert and Unadilla under the Set-Aside category for the 2025 Community HOME Investment Program (CHIP). The Set-Aside category is designed to broaden access to CHIP by prioritizing communities that may not typically receive funding due to capacity or historical application trends. To be eligible, applicants must:

  • Be a local unit of government;
  • Demonstrate a need for owner-occupied housing rehabilitation;
  • Have not received CHIP or State Community Development Block Grant housing funds in the past ten years;
  • Show evidence of current or prior community development efforts; and
  • Procure a qualified grant administrator to manage the program.

Both Cuthbert and Unadilla meet these criteria and reflect CHIP’s mission to build capacity in historically underserved communities.

With the inclusion of Cuthbert and Unadilla, the total number of 2025 CHIP awards increases from 15 to 17. The Set-Aside category expands from four to six awards, and the overall recommended award total increases from $13.8 million to $14.8 million. This adjustment ensures that critical housing rehabilitation needs in smaller or historically underserved communities are meaningfully addressed through targeted investment.