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Housing can feel like the one problem no small community can solve, especially when the town is growing, prices are climbing, and every public meeting feels personal. We sit down with Tiffany Watson, executive director of Gilmer County Family Connection in Ellijay, Georgia, to unpack how a local coalition took on workforce housing and stayed the course long enough to see 50 new apartments become real homes.

Tiffany walks us through the play-by-play: the steady drumbeat of calls from families who cannot find a long-term rental, the way short-term rentals reshaped the local housing stock, and the “everyone knows everyone” dynamics that make change feel risky. We get specific about what worked including building a cross-sector stakeholder table, applying to the University of Georgia’s Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH), using a housing study and community survey to ground the work in data, and choosing language like “workforce housing” to reduce stigma and keep the conversation focused on local needs.

You’ll also hear the hard parts leaders rarely say out loud: getting shouted down at zoning meetings, facing misinformation, and deciding whether the stress is worth it. Tiffany shares what kept her going, how they educated the public with simple Q&A materials and civic group talks, and what success looks like now that the Overlook at Ellijay is opening with a leasing process built to follow fair housing rules while serving the local workforce.

If you care about housing affordability, rural community development, coalition leadership, and practical strategies that actually move the needle, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a fellow community leader, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway so more people can find the show.

Tiffany Watson – Bio

Tiffany Watson has deep roots in Ellijay, Georgia, and proudly calls the community home. She graduated from Gilmer High School and went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Reinhardt University in 2002, graduating Cum Laude.

Tiffany serves as the Executive Director of Gilmer County Family Connection, where she works alongside community partners to support children and families across Gilmer County. Her work focuses on bringing people together, strengthening local resources, and helping families access the support they need. She is also involved in regional initiatives, including Building a Region of Resilience (BRR), supporting efforts that promote stability and resilience across the community.

In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Tiffany has served in various community and service roles. She became Treasurer of the Present Hope Ministry Board in 2014, supporting efforts that provide education and food to children in Haiti. Tiffany served as Board Chair of the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce in 2023 and as Chair of the Georgia Apple Festival in 2024. She presently serves on the Gilmer County Department of Family and Children’s Services Board and has been actively involved in the Gilmer Initiative for Community Housing (GICH), where she serves as Chair, helping lead local efforts to expand housing opportunities and strengthen community development.

Tiffany considers her most important role to be that of a mother to her three sons. Her child’s health challenges led her to advocate for families of medically complex children, sharing a parent’s perspective at medical conferences and legislative meetings to highlight the impact of childhood illness on families.

Get in touch with Tiffnay: gilmerfc@outlook.com 

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Music by Zach Price: Zachpricet@gmail.com