City of Savannah offers $2,000 incentive to attract remote tech workers

The Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) has launched a Technology Workforce Incentive programme which will reimburse relocation expenses for remote workers who move to the coastal Georgia city.

The initiative will initially be open to 50 qualified tech workers in 2020 and they will receive US$2,000 in reimbursement to cover expenses such as moving service charges, vehicle rental, utility deposits and gas.

“This incentive is a great way for technology workers that can work remotely to think about relocating to Savannah as a permanent location. We know once these technology workers arrive, Savannah – and its diverse offerings and high quality of life – will sell itself,” said SEDA President and CEO, Trip Tollison.

Applicants need to prove at least three years of verifiable experience and must relocate to Chatham County with a minimum one-year lease or purchase property. They must also reside in the county for 30 days before applying.

“The Savannah region is a great place to choose to live and we think we can tap into talent that is able to work from anywhere,” said Jen Bonnett, Vice President of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, SEDA. “Our beautiful, historic downtown, plus access to wonderful beaches and our reasonable real estate market makes us quite an attractive place to live and work.”

Work shifts

SEDA also offers other incentives to boost the region’s technology industry. The Facility Rental Assistance Grant provides up to $12,000 toward office rental for technology firms that create a minimum of ten new positions and the High Wage Job Creation Grant offers $20,000 for every five high-technology jobs created.

SEDA’s Technology Workforce Incentive programme follows the launch of the Tulsa Remote initiative in 2018. The scheme provides $10,000 in grants and support for remote workers who move to Tulsa in Oklahoma, with funding provided by the George Kaiser Family Foundation.

The COVID-19 crisis could see long-term shifts in working which impact cities. After the forced shift to remote working during the pandemic, 54 percent of US adults in a recent IBM poll said they would like to work from home permanently.

A survey of 4,400 San Francisco Bay Area tech workers by work-focused social network Blind found that two-thirds would consider leaving the region if they were given the option to work from home permanently.

In addition, research from Harris Poll, a firm of social scientists and strategists, found that 40 percent of US adults living in urban areas would consider moving to less-populated areas after the pandemic.