Community Growth
As our community grows, we must be proactive to plan for future growth as well. Progress breeds more progress and includes in the discussion of growth and development are the topics of services and the quality of life. Our community leaders work hard every day to insure this community offers the quality of life potential new employees and their family's desire. As I’ve shared before, Stephens County is full of things to do and experience as Stephens County is a hidden gem smack dab in the middle of breath-taking beauty and outdoor adventure.
Another vital piece of the puzzle is a concern we hear on a regular basis from our industry leaders. Our existing industry needs available housing for their employees, not to mention potential new industry having the same challenge. There is simply no place for employees to live. Housing is simply at an all time shortage, which in turn drives up the prices, a simple example of supply and demand.
We have hundreds of jobs available today in Stephens County. Currently, according to the Ga Department of Labor (understanding not every company notifies them of job openings), Stephens County has 2300 total manufacturing jobs, 333 industry related positions are available industry today. Here is the number one challenge when we find qualified individuals to fill these positions…where will they live? Because if we don’t have housing which is affordable (not income-based or low-income housing) affordable housing for our employees, they will eventually find jobs in the communities where they are forced to live, due to the lack of housing in Stephens County. So our industries who have invested time and money into training employees will simply have to start back at square one with the next new hire.
We receive calls at the Chamber of Commerce every week inquiring about available housing and we have made a list of rental options in our area, most of which have waiting lists by the way. We regularly hear from new employees moving to the area, newly hired coaches, college professors and students, school teachers, young couples, and families looking to rent before they buy.
So to invite and retain people in our community we need housing at different price points. This is NOT a retirement community nor is that our goal. We are actively marketing to and working hard to attract millennials (ages 27-42) and genZ-ers (26 and under) to our community. According to MLS, the average price of a house in Stephens County in the last 12 months was $250k. Many don’t yet have the savings for the necessary down payment and everyone doesn’t want the responsibility or the burden of a single family home. We NEED Affordable Workforce Housing- for singles, young married couples, retired residents who may prefer low maintenance housing.
It is my honor and privilege to be in my 9th year as your Chamber president as advocate and community partner for commerce and tourism in Toccoa-Stephens County. I am often asked “why Toccoa?”, and I say “what sets Toccoa-Stephens County apart is THE PEOPLE, there is a sense of community here which is hard to find in our culture anymore. Everyone is so busy anymore but here you will be welcomed, people wave, engage in conversation, there is a real sense of southern hospitality.
COMMUNITY defined: a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage. a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists.
I am grateful to live in a Country where we all have the freedom and the right to express our thoughts and to be heard. However, just because we might disagree about something shouldn’t make us enemies.
In reflecting on recent experiences in public gatherings, we need to do better and be better as a community. Regardless of the outcome of any decision from our elected officials or local leadership. Let us be careful not be drawn into this cancel culture approach simply because we don’t get our way about something. Instead of having the goal “to be RIGHT” we should be more focused on being “right with GOD”. Matthew 7:12 says “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
The proof is in the pudding and this characteristic plays out in how we speak to one another, how to treat one another and in how we talk about one another.
Talking hateful about others who may not agree with us or getting on social media to spew bitterness and encourage others not to do business with locals who happen not to agree with you says a whole lot more about the one talking ugly than the one they’re talking about, and certainly doesn’t attract others to our community.
We ARE COMMUNITY. So regardless of the decisions made this week, or any other week by our local leadership planning & zoning committees, development authorities or County and City Commissioners, this is our small town and we’re all still going to see each other in the grocery stores, restaurants, at a ballgame, in the workplace and at church.
We have raised our family here. We still have four at home 2 in college and two in our local school system. I would hope we all want what is best for our community as a whole. Whatever challenges come with growth and progress…we will tackle head on together and resolve them as a community. Because at the end of the day WE ARE Toccoa-Stephens County, we are a TEAM, we are COMMUNITY.