Mayor Andre Dickens has announced an $1,400,000 investment from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to create a Housing Help Center and expand the Mayor’s Safe and Secure Housing Program.
“Creating affordable housing isn’t just about building new housing—I am committed to meeting our city’s families where they already are with the help they need,” Dickens said in a statement.
$600,000 of the investment will launch the new Housing Help Center. The Center will be a place for Atlanta residents seeking affordable housing resources. Many of these resources are currently separate, which makes it difficult for households to search, identify and access the services that can help them.
“The Housing Help Center and Safe and Secure Housing Program are critical components for a healthy affordable housing ecosystem, and I am proud to lead a City that invests in supporting not just construction—but people,” said Mayor Dickens.
The Center will connect residents with properties offering income-restricted housing, as well as provide a comprehensive list of other housing resources. Resources will include: owner-occupied rehab, access to legal counsel and an office for residents to report violations of the City’s Housing Code.
The Housing Help Center will be located at City Hall, residents will also be able to access resources via a website and hotline. The Center plans to launch by the end of the summer.
The remaining $800,000 investment will expand the current litigation team at the Office of the City Solicitor. The team focuses on investigating and prosecuting nuisance property violations and cases as part of the Safe and Secure Housing Program.
The Safe and Secure Housing program began last summer to identify, track, inspect and obtain compliance on violations at occupied multi-family properties with substandard living conditions and high crime.
Currently, there are more than 50 properties within city limits the City has flagged as high-priority due to the number of code violations and violent crime. Of those, 16 properties are currently in process, and with the additional funding, the program will speed up the number of actions pursued over the next year.
