Business View Civil & Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 11

124 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 11 currently facing challenges with housing stock and inventory, much like the rest of the nation. Hampton says, “Individuals who are looking for homes are either having to wait or potentially being outbid. We are trying to meet that demand through a different type of housing stock, whether that be through multifamily or single family.” With more and more people looking to take up residence in the metro Atlanta area, new techniques are being employed to keep up with the demand for affordable housing. As an aesthetic town with an impressive amount of history, residents and city employees alike work together to retain the classic beauty of Douglasville. A proud affiliate of the Keep America Beautiful initiative, Keep Douglasville Beautiful works to achieve the needs and desires of its community, striving to beautify, clean up and prevent litter, and increase recycling. “We have several programs,” Weeks explains. “One of the larger ones is our community garden. This is something that our residents have asked for and that would provide some fresh produce during the pandemic. It was helpful because they could just walk down the street and pick something off the vine versus having to go into the grocery store, mask-up, and worry about COVID.” From May through September, Keep Douglasville Beautiful also works with the University of Georgia, Cobb and Douglas Public Health, and Douglas County Parks and Recreation to run a farmers’ market. As the lead, Keep Douglasville Beautiful is looking to get stronger in those efforts. In addition to the larger initiatives, KDB runs many smaller programs with a focus on combatting litter and increasing recycling. A major player in the Douglasville community, Douglasville Parks and Recreation has two major parks, one of which was recently renovated, with upcoming renovations scheduled for others. Hampton says, “We are slated to do a major renovation to our other park, on the northside of our community, which will include additional facilities such as a senior facility, a renovated