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2/15/2024

FACT SHEET: New U.S. Department of the Treasury Analysis Shows President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda is D…

FACT SHEET: New U.S. Department of the Treasury Analysis
Shows President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda is Driving
Investment to Underserved Communities in Georgia
February 15, 2024

Inflation Reduction Act investments concentrated in communities with lower wages,
employment rates, college graduation rates, median household income, and higher poverty
and child poverty rates
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released new analysis on the
benefits of President Bidenʼs Investing in America Agenda for Georgia. These resources and
incentives – including those unlocked by the American Rescue Plan Act and the Inflation
Reduction Act – are catalyzing historic growth for small businesses, supporting workers,
strengthening housing security, closing the digital divide, and unleashing private-sector
investments in clean energy in predominantly underserved communities.
At a high level, federal investments in Georgia include:
More than $8.3 billion in the American Rescue Plan Act through the State and Local Fiscal
Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program. Recipients across the state have budgeted more than
$153 million for housing projects, including $111 million for a ordable housing; $45 million
for small business; and more than $177 million for workforce investments.
Georgia recipients have distributed more than $1 billion dollars to keep tens of thousands
of renters in their homes through the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) programs.
Through September 30, 2023, 5,877 homeowners received $120 million in support through
the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) to make mortgage, property tax, and utility
payments.
Georgia received $250 million for broadband infrastructure from the American Rescue Plan
Act through the Capital Projects Fund (CPF) to connect 70,000 households and businesses
to reliable, high-speed internet.
Since the Inflation Reduction Act passed, 33 investments in clean energy projects totaling
$14.64 billion have been announced in Georgia. Of these, 99% of the total dollars land in
counties with below average weekly wages, and 75% land in counties with below average
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college graduation rates, showing how the law is achieving its goal of driving investment
to communities that have been le behind.
This analysis follows a visit by U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo and U.S.
Senator Jon Osso (D-GA) to Cobb County, GAʼs Career Training Program CobbWorks. The
County is using more than $3.7 million in SLFRF award funds for new workforce service
centers and other CobbWorks access points, and more than $3.1 million for a youth
professional development program at CobbWorks that provides jobs to Cobb County youth.
A new, detailed analysis of these investments is included below.

SMALL B USINESS AND W ORKF ORCE DEVELOPMENT
Georgia SLFRF recipients were allocated more than $8.3 billion. Through September 30, 2023,
recipients across the state have budgeted nearly $4.8 billion for approximately 2,400 projects,
including more than $45 million for small business, and more than $177 million for workforce
investments. Georgia was also approved for up to $205 million in capital and technical
assistance funding through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI).
Examples of projects supporting small businesses and workforces in Georgia:
Cobb County is using more than $21.6 million in SLFRF funds to boost economic growth
through workforce development, support for small and minority owned businesses,
employee retention, and hospitality and tourism. CobbWorks, for example, provides
access to a broad range of employment and education services.
Community development financial institutions have made over $2.6 million in SSBCIsupported loans to Black owned businesses in Georgia. Two minority depository
institutions (MDIs), Citizens Trust Bank in Atlanta, and Carver State Bank in Savannah, are
participating lenders in the Georgia SSBCI Loan Participation Program.
The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is implementing an
award of $6.2 million in SSBCI technical assistance funding to support business advisors
at SBDC o ices around the state. These advisors provide assistance to businesses that
need access to financing.

HOUSING
Renters and homeowners have received robust federal assistance from the ERA and HAF
programs, which has expanded access to a ordable housing and kept families in their homes.
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FACT SHEET: New U.S. Department of the Treasury Analysis Shows President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda is D…

Georgians have received more than $1 billion to pay rent and stay in their homes.
Approximately three quarters of funds supported households who identified as Black, and
over half supported very low-income households. Nearly three quarters supported households
led by women, indicating the ERA programs are increasing housing security for Georgia
children. To quickly reach renters most in need, the state streamlined its application
processes by using flexibilities allowed by the Treasury Department, which enabled rental
assistance payments to be made 10 times faster. Payments increased from $4 million per
month to $50 million per month by June of 2022.
Through September 30, 2023, 5,877 homeowners across Georgia received $120 million in
support for mortgage, property tax, and utility bills. Through September 2023, 59% of HAF
assistance in Georgia was delivered to very low-income homeowners. 81% of homeowners
assisted self-identified as Black, 4% self-identified as Latino, and 71% self-identified as
female. With guidance from the Treasury Department, the state in 2024 introduced a pilot
partial claim payo program to help extend program benefits to homeowners who first
addressed delinquencies by taking on a lien on their property.
In addition, through September 30, 2023, Georgia recipients of SLFRF awards have budgeted
$153 million for housing projects, which includes $111 million for a ordable housing.
Examples of projects supporting housing stability in Georgia:
Cobb County is budgeting $4 million to support the development of 14 single-family
homes to bolster the countyʼs supply of a ordable for-sale single-family homes.
DeKalb County formed the DeKalb Tenant-Landlord Assistance Coalition (TLAC) to bring
together community partners including the government, legal aid/mediation services,
court system, and housing authority to help prevent evictions.
Chatham County incorporated case management in the application process to ensure that
applicants access services that enable them to get jobs and secure permanent housing.
The program serves individuals at high risk of homeless, including run away youth and
adults involved with the criminal justice system.

B ROADB AND
Georgia received $250 million for broadband infrastructure from the American Rescue Planʼs
Capital Projects Fund to connect 70,000 households and businesses to reliable, high-speed
internet. In addition, the state is investing $377.2 million of SLFRF funds in broadband
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infrastructure in areas that are currently unserved or underserved. These communities lack a
wireline connection that reliably delivers minimum speeds of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps
upload.

CLEAN ENERGY
Investments in clean energy spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act are a prime example of
how federal incentives unleash private-sector investments to spur economic growth. These
investments are creating good-paying jobs, strengthening energy security, and lowering
energy costs. These investments generate long-term growth for the whole country, while
creating jobs in communities that have been le behind.
Investments that have been announced in Georgia in Inflation Reduction Act-related sectors
of the economy, including clean vehicles, critical minerals, solar, and batteries are
concentrated in underserved communities with lower wages, lower college graduation rates,
lower employment rates, and lower median household incomes, along with higher poverty and
child poverty rates.
Treasuryʼs analysis shows investments in the clean energy economy are disproportionately
benefitting communities where opportunity exists but there is greater need of initial public
investment to unlock private capital and create good-paying jobs. Investments in
communities like these have the highest “bang for the buck” by unlocking untapped
opportunities.
Since the Inflation Reduction Act passed, 33 investments totaling $14.64 billion have been
announced in Georgia.
99% of clean investment dollars in Georgia since the Inflation Reduction passed land in
counties with below average weekly wages.
75% of clean investment dollars in Georgia since the Inflation Reduction Act passed land
in counties with below average college graduation rates.
56% of clean investment dollars in Georgia since the Inflation Reduction Act passed flow
to counties with below average employment to population ratio.
57% of clean investment dollars in Georgia since the Inflation Reduction Act passed land
in counties with below average median household income.

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FACT SHEET: New U.S. Department of the Treasury Analysis Shows President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda is D…

55% of clean investment dollars in Georgia since the Inflation Reduction Act passed flow
to counties with higher-than-average poverty rates.
55% of clean investment dollars in Georgia since the Inflation Reduction Act passed flow
to counties with higher-than-average child poverty rates.
Examples of clean energy projects in rural and underserved communities in Georgia:
Hyundai/SK, Je erson County: Hyundai and SK announced in December 2022 an
approximately $5 billion plant that will create an estimated 3,500 jobs and manufacture
electric vehicle batteries.
Qcells, Bartow County: Qcells announced in January 2023 in a $2.3 billion plant that will
create an estimated 2,000 jobs and manufacture silicon ingots and wafers and solar cells.
In conjunction with this announcement, Qcells also announced a $181 million third phase
at its Dalton solar module facility, hiring an additional 500 workers.
FREYR, Coweta County: FREYR announced in November 2022 a $1.7 billion plant that will
create around 720 jobs as part of its multi-phase Giga America clean battery
manufacturing project. The facility will initially manufacture battery cells, with anticipated
capacity of approximately 34 GWh.
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