The Northwest Georgia Housing Authority offices were evacuated Thursday afternoon when a white powdery substance was found underneath the desk in Executive Director Sandra Hudson's office. A Gordon County hazardous materials response unit responded to 326 West Ninth St., where Heath Derryberry used a portable IR spectrometer kit to analyze the substance and was able to determine that it was not hazardous. "That's what we wanted to hear," said Rome-Floyd County Emergency Management Director Tim Herrington. Rome Police initially responded to the call regarding the discovery of the white powder at 10:52 a.m. Thursday and took a report.