Blairsville city officials reviewed the results of a community housing survey during the City Council’s regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 9, finding that residents are facing limited housing options as home prices, rental costs and demand rise.
The survey, which received approximately 400 responses, was conducted in January as a part of the city’s involvement in the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing, a program focused on helping communities develop affordable housing solutions without damaging local character.
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“Housing can get super dramatic and contentious, because, especially us folks who have lived here forever, we don’t want to see our community turn into something we no longer recognize,” said Kristen Bentley, the city’s planning and economic development director. “However, the reason we’re a part of this program to start with is because … people couldn’t afford to live here.”
According to the survey results, housing availability was the greatest concern among respondents, with 80% citing a lack of housing options as a major barrier. Bentley said Union County faces “very unique” challenges, because only about 25% of its land is available for development. The rest is national forest or otherwise protected areas.
Furthermore, Bentley said rising home values have made it increasingly difficult for local residents to find housing. She said the average home price in Blairsville increased from approximately $236,000 in 2020 to $380,000 in 2025, while new construction costs have risen above $400,000 and average rent has reached roughly $1,950 per month.
“The median household income, and this is where it gets really serious, is around $59,000, which just mathematically does not support the current process that I listed,” Bentley said.
While no specific housing projects were announced during the meeting, Bentley said the city’s involvement in GICH will help identify potential solutions. She said possible areas of focus could be increasing access to starter homes, long-term rentals, senior housing and “missing middle housing,” which she described as “cottage communities” or duplexes.
Also during the meeting, Union County Fire Chief David Dyer announced that the county recently signed a contract for a new mass communication system called Rave Alert, which will replace the previous system, CodeRED.
Dyer also gave an update on the new Union County 911 Dispatch Center, saying construction is nearly complete and the next phase will be installing $1.2 million worth of communication equipment and technology.
In other business, the council approved several financial and operational items, including the SPLOST VI Intergovernmental Agreement, which ensures the city will receive 9% of collected SPLOST revenues.
Council members also approved wastewater treatment system upgrades, a Georgia Department of Corrections Work Detail Agreement and the purchase of 20 LED lighting units for Blue Ridge Street. The lights will be installed from Town Square to Earnest Street at a total cost of $13,183.87.
Additionally, the council approved a change to city employee benefits, allowing new hires to receive paid holidays immediately upon employment. Mayor Robert “Buddy” Moore said the previous policy required new employees to work for three months before receiving holiday pay.
The meeting concluded with council members approving several occupational tax certificates for new and expanding local businesses, including medical offices, retail stores, accounting firms and food service.
The Blairsville City Council will hold its next regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 14, at 6 p.m. at Blairsville City Hall. The meeting is open to the public.
