To kick off the Biden-Harris Invest In America Tour and Fair Housing Month, Secretary Marcia Fudge stopped in Gwinnett County, Georgia, to meet with Congresswoman Lucy McBath for a property tour and roundtable discussion to highlight the Administration’s progress in affordable housing and economic development.

Secretary Fudge and Congresswoman McBath toured the Good Samaritan Health Center, developed with a $2.4 million HUD Community Development Block Grant to obtain the building and complete renovations. Before the development of the health center, the property was a restaurant space that required a complete overhaul before being converted into a medical facility.

Following the tour was a community roundtable with Gwinnett County mayors and commissioners. Hosted by Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson, the roundtable focused on innovative ways to address the affordable housing crisis and leveraging HUD’s partnership with local leaders to develop sustainable communities. Present for the roundtable were HUD Regional Administrator José Alvarez, Norcross Mayor Craig Newton, Snellville Mayor Tod Warner, Lilburn City Manager Jenny Simpkins, Lawrenceville City Manager Chuck Warbington, District 1 Commissioner Kirkland Carden, District 2 Commissioner Ken Ku, District 3 Commissioner, Jasper Watkins III, and Peachtree Corners Community Development Director, Diana Wheeler.

During this roundtable, the Secretary was able to engage local leaders about their successes and challenges around creating affordable housing within their respective communities. Supporting the facilitation of these events were Deputy Regional Administrator Tiffany Cobb, Georgia Field Office Director Shea Johnson, and Georgia CPD Director Adrian Fields. Additionally, Bonitta Smith and Mark Williams with Multifamily, and Christina Miller with PIH were present at the roundtable to engage with local leadership.

After the tour, Secretary Fudge sat down with two-time Emmy Award Winner and member of the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame Ryan Cameron on WAMJ Majic 107.5, highlighting critical investments HUD has made in the African American Community, both nationally and in Georgia. During this sit-down, Secretary Fudge took calls from listeners who expressed housing concerns and provided information about where they could access resources to address their concerns.

Secretary Fudge stressed the importance of the Invest in America Tour, saying, “The President and Vice President have made sure we are out talking about what we can do to be helpful to the people in our nation, and that’s why I’m here today in Georgia.”

###