Rabun, GA, United States Americas
Rabun Co Business
Report Summary:

The challenge of providing workforce housing in a booming second-home community is not singular to Rabun. Communities across the U.S. are facing similar challenges, and the Terwilliger Center for Housing at the Urban Land Institute is increasingly called upon for insights and guidance. Knowing this, Forward Rabun turned to the Urban Land Institute–Atlanta district council (ULI Atlanta) and the Terwilliger Center for Housing for assistance in Rabun. Using its trusted technical assistance panel (TAP) program. The panel’s recommendations are clustered into three main time frames to help focus the county’s efforts.

First Six Months

  • Regional meetings - Establish monthly regional meetings on housing with neighboring counties, with Forward Rabun taking the lead in convening and setting the agenda.
  • Suitability analysis - Kick off a county-wide land suitability analysis.
  • Inventory analysis - Conduct a building inventory analysis.
  • Education & outreach - Plan for an education and community outreach strategy, including an expanded Citizen Academy.
  • Project tours - Plan project tours to see, walkthrough, and experience different housing types that might meet Rabun’s needs.
  • Housing coordinator - Begin laying the groundwork for a county housing coordinator – someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes housing for Rabun.

By End of 2023

  • Vision - Develop a specific housing and community development vision for the county.
  • Zoning & codes - Assess and refresh all zoning procedures and building codes.
  • Policies & enabling entities - Review and update policies and procedures and research and establish enabling entities (BIDs, TADs, SpTDs).
  • Housing symposium - Host a housing symposium and leverage ULI’s UrbanPlan for Community Leaders workshop to help educate and inform the broader community.

2024 and Beyond

  • Broadband - Plan for and make broadband investments.
  • Utilities - Coordinate utility connections to serve new projects.
  • Housing authority - Catalyze the local Housing Authority to serve as a more active development partner.
  • Design standards - Update and create new design standards to support the new housing models that reflect Rabun’s vision.
  • Demonstration project - Build a demonstration project to help the community see and experience the county’s new brand of workforce housing.

Please download the full report for a more detailed description of the scope, questions, and panel recommendations.

Report Summary: The challenge of providing workforce housing in a booming second-home community is not singular to Rabun. Communities across the U.S. are facing similar challenges, and the Terwilliger Center for Housing at the Urban Land Institute is increasingly called upon for insights and guidance. Knowing this, Forward Rabun turned to the Urban Land Institute–Atlanta district council (ULI Atlanta) and the Terwilliger Center for Housing for assistance in Rabun. Using its trusted technical assistance panel (TAP) program. The panel’s recommendations are clustered into three main time frames to help focus the county’s efforts.

First Six Months

  • Regional meetings - Establish monthly regional meetings on housing with neighboring counties, with Forward Rabun taking the lead in convening and setting the agenda.
  • Suitability analysis - Kick off a county-wide land suitability analysis.
  • Inventory analysis - Conduct a building inventory analysis.
  • Education & outreach - Plan for an education and community outreach strategy, including an expanded Citizen Academy.
  • Project tours - Plan project tours to see, walkthrough, and experience different housing types that might meet Rabun’s needs.
  • Housing coordinator - Begin laying the groundwork for a county housing coordinator – someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes housing for Rabun.

By End of 2023

  • Vision - Develop a specific housing and community development vision for the county.
  • Zoning & codes - Assess and refresh all zoning procedures and building codes.
  • Policies & enabling entities - Review and update policies and procedures and research and establish enabling entities (BIDs, TADs, SpTDs).
  • Housing symposium - Host a housing symposium and leverage ULI’s UrbanPlan for Community Leaders workshop to help educate and inform the broader community.

2024 and Beyond

  • Broadband - Plan for and make broadband investments.
  • Utilities - Coordinate utility connections to serve new projects.
  • Housing authority - Catalyze the local Housing Authority to serve as a more active development partner.
  • Design standards - Update and create new design standards to support the new housing models that reflect Rabun’s vision.
  • Demonstration project - Build a demonstration project to help the community see and experience the county’s new brand of workforce housing.

Please download the full report for a more detailed description of the scope, questions, and panel recommendations.

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