The Social Security Administration (SSA) has made a statement in the wake of Gainesville’s office potentially closing due to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“We are working with GSA [General Services Administration] to review our leases and ensure they are used efficiently. Most of the leases we are not renewing are for small remote hearing sites that are co-located with other federal space. As the majority of our hearings are held virtually, we no longer need as many in-person hearings locations,” an SSA spokesperson said.
It is of note that Gainesville’s office holds in-person hearings, and when AccessWDUN went to the office on Monday, roughly 15 residents could be seen at the office for various tasks.
Representative for Georgia’s 9th Congressional District Andrew Clyde also offered a statement.
“My office and I are in touch with the SSA Regional Office in Atlanta to gather more information on this matter. My team in Gainesville is equipped with phenomenal case workers who are always ready to help folks with federal agencies … I encourage the Ninth to contact my office if they ever need assistance with a federal agency, and I remain committed to ensuring Northeast Georgians receive the federal services they deserve,” the statement reads.
SSA claimed that in fiscal year 2024, 20-percent of offices held “no in-person hearings” while other offices are not public facing, being consolidated into nearby locations, or were already planned to close.
“Social Security continuously monitors and evaluates the use of our office space to maximize efficiency for the American taxpayer,” an SSA spokesperson said.
GSA also reached out to AccessWDUN with a statement.
"GSA is committed to being a smart steward of taxpayer dollars by cutting unneeded space and reducing costs. Non-core assets cost over $430-million annually to operate and maintain, represent over $8.3-billion in recapitalization needs and often do not provide federal employees the high quality work environments they need to fulfill their missions. The list of non-core assets is subject to change, and PBS [Public Buildings Service] remains fully committed to meeting the mission needs of our customer agencies and delivering world class work environments for the federal workforce as they return to office," the statement reads.
Despite the statements from the two agencies, it remains unclear when the office will close or if it will be moved into another location.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2025/3/1288926/rep-andrew-clyde-ssa-make-statements-potential-gainesville-closure