Coronavirus COVID-19 Update: Housing & Community Development

Proposal Deadline for Indigent Services Extended to May 15 for Services from June 3 - Aug. 31

The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (ACCGov) Housing and Community Development (HCD) Department released a request on April 23 seeking proposals for an Indigent Services Program from qualified organizations to provide homeless services, food assistance, and resource distribution to the indigent population.

The program is scheduled to run from June 3 until August 31, unless extended. The deadline for proposals from interested organizations was extended and are now due by May 15 at 4:00 p.m.

"Indigency" for the purposes of these efforts is defined using federal guidelines.

Those organizations interested in applying should review the application and the Frequently Asked Questions at www.accgov.com/hcd and pay attention to the eligible activities of:

Homeless Services
Food Assistance
Resource Distribution

Please also note the guidance about:

Religious Organizations
Due to the Georgia Constitution’s “Establishment Clause,” ACCGov is prohibited from directly funding religious organizations with local funds. All recipients of “Indigent Services” funds / Resiliency Package funds must be able to sign an affidavit certifying that they are not a religious or sectarian organization.
Financial Assistance
Financial assistance (rent, utility, mortgage assistance) is not an eligible activity for these local funds.

This funding is part of the Athens-Clarke County Resiliency Package and is intended to support low-income households during the COVID-19 crisis.

For questions about the application or to view the application, visit www.accgov.com/hcd or call 706-613-3155.

Daily Long-Term Care Facility Update (May 8)

Beginning April 17, the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) started providing a daily long-term care facility COVID-19 report (dch.georgia.gov). These reports are updated Monday through Friday by 7:00 p.m.

Comparing the Friday, May 8 report to the Fri., April 24 and Fri., April 17 reports:

The Oaks - Athens Skilled Nursing - Nursing Home - 490 Kathwood Drive
111 residents - 1 positive resident (14 more residents, same positive as April 17)
Pruitthealth - Grandview - Nursing Home - 165 Winston Drive
55 residents - 17 positive residents, 11 resident deaths
8 positive staff members (1 fewer resident, 1 additional positive staff member since April 17)
PruittHealth - Athens Heritage - 960 Hawtorne Avenue
86 residents - 0 positive residents
1 positive staff member (location not listed on April 17 or 24 update)
University Nursing & Rehab Center - Nursing Home - 180 Epps Bridge Road
96 residents - 1 positive resident
2 positive staff members (1 fewer resident, 1 additional positive staff member since April 17)

Read a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the HFRD Long-Term Care Facility COVID-19 report at https://dch.georgia.gov/document/document/long-term-care-facility-covid-19-report-faqs/download.

180 Positive Cases Confirmed in Athens-Clarke County, 13 Deaths

The state Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) case tracker (https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report) confirms 176 positive cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Athens-Clarke County with 13 deaths as of 6:25 p.m. on May 8.

The case tracker has recently been updated to a new format and provides additional county-level information, including the number of cases per 100,000 people (138.70 for Athens-Clarke County).

If you view the data, however, please be sure to check the area showing the definitions of the information presented. Some have different meanings than what you may expect.

The 13 deaths range in age from 60-98. Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes are at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 and should always consult their healthcare provider if they are sick.

Information Sources

The response to COVID-19 involves both rapid and extensive changes and also deliberate measures that take some time to consider.

Once official information is released from the Georgia Department of Public Health, the Northeast Georgia Health District, the State of Georgia government, or other local partners, we will report it on www.accgov.com/coronavirus and social media.

Additionally, this COVID-19 update newsletter will go out most days with new information primarily about the ACCGov response and plans. It may also include some local area information of note as space allows.