A RESOLUTION
NO.________

WHEREAS, in 2008, Congress authorized the creation of the Toxic Asset Relief Program (TARP) which was amended to include assistance to homeowners; and,

WHEREAS, on February 19, 2010, the United States Treasury Department (“Treasury Department”) announced TARP’s Hardest Hit Fund (HHF), to support foreclosure prevention efforts and stabilize the housing market; and,

WHEREAS, the Treasury Department designed the HHF to provide 7.6 billion to be administered by housing finance agencies in eighteen states including Georgia where the administering finance agency is the Georgia Department Community Affairs (DCA); and,

WHEREAS, Georgia was allocated $339,255,819 in HHF for foreclosure assistance thru the HomeSafe Georgia Program which is administered by DCA and expires December 31, 2017 with the balance to be returned to the Treasury Department; and,

WHEREAS, as of March 31, 2015, only 33% of the allocation has been expended; and,

WHEREAS, in June 2013 the Treasury Department approved the Blight Elimination Program as a part of HHF to fund the demolition and “greening” of vacant and abandoned single-family and multifamily structures; and,

WHEREAS, currently only six states which does not include Georgia participate in the HHF Blight Elimination Program; and,

WHEREAS, in order to participate in the HHF Blight Elimination Program a state must make a request to the Treasury Department and develop a program that allows administration that provides adequate oversight, accountability and transparency.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA HEREBY RESOLVES:

In order that Columbus, Georgia may have access to HHF Blight Elimination funds this Council requests that DCA submit a request to the Treasury Department to release HHF funding to be used for a Georgia Blight Elimination Program and establish program criteria that will allow for successful use of these funds.
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Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia held on the _______ day of ____________, 2015, and adopted at said meeting by the affirmative vote of ______ members of Council.

Councilor Allen_____________.
Councilor Baker_____________.
Councilor Barnes____________.
Councilor Buck______________.
Councilor Davis_____________.
Councilor Henderson_________.
Councilor Huff______________.
Councilor Pugh______________.
Councilor Thomas____________.
Councilor Woodson___________.


__________________________ _______________________
TINY B. WASHINGTON Evelyn Turner-Pugh
CLERK OF COUNCIL Mayor Pro Tem