Athens Reporter

Athens-Clarke County Unified Government has appointed Melinda Lord as the Director of Housing and Community Development. Acting Manager Niki Jones confirmed that Lord's appointment is effective immediately. Lord had been serving as Interim Director since February 2024, following the resignation of former director Roderick Wallace.

Lord brings over two decades of experience in community development, focusing on affordable housing, homeless assistance, economic development, budgeting, and grant oversight. She began her career with the Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) in 2015 as a Community Development Specialist. Over six years, she advanced to Community Development Administrator and then Assistant Director.

“In her time as Assistant Director and Interim Director, Melinda has demonstrated her ability to effectively lead the Housing and Community Development Department,” said Jones. “She not only brings a wealth of experience and compassion to the position, but she has also collaborated extensively with community partners to increase their capabilities and services to Athens-Clarke County’s residents while meeting compliance requirements.”

In 2022, Lord briefly served as Program Operations Manager for Atlanta's Department of Grants and Community Development before returning to ACCGov. Before joining ACCGov, she worked for nearly 13 years at a non-profit organization in Greenville, SC providing transitional housing and support services for homeless individuals and families. She holds a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies from Georgia Southern University.

“I am honored to continue serving the Athens community in this new role and will work diligently each day to advance HCD’s mission in support of its residents,” said Lord.

The ACCGov Housing and Community Development Department works through community partners to provide grant funding for affordable housing, economic development, public service, and public facilities improvements within Athens. While HCD does not directly offer housing or services itself, it manages federal funding from programs such as the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), Continuum of Care (CoC) grants, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, along with local ACCGov general funds for various initiatives.

For further information about HCD's activities or initiatives visit www.accgov.com/hcd.