At the beginning of his term, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens set a goal to create or preserve 20,000 units of affordable housing by 2030.
About five years into the effort, the city is over halfway toward the goal.
So far Atlanta has built or is in the process of completing 12,441 units. According to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development definition, affordable housing should cost no more than $1,700 a month.
Atlanta has built affordable housing using shipping containers, vacant church properties and old office buildings.
Atlanta Chief of Staff Courtney English said interagency collaboration through the Affordable Housing Strike Force cuts through red tape.
“We’re going to do a lot of work to reduce the regulatory burden, make permitting easier, make zoning easier, he said. “Which we believe will create a shift in the market towards additional affordability and that’s on top of all the other efforts.”
For the remaining units, Atlanta will focus on single-family housing and developments on city-owned land.
English said the city want to build long-term wealth for residents.
“Atlanta, unfortunately for too long, has been a tale of two cities,” he said. “And when we look at home ownership across neighborhoods in the city of Atlanta, there’s a wide disparity that exists. So, we’ve got to lean in on that effort to ensure that folks can reach that American dream.”
The city is looking into public funding tools such as tax allocation districts and additional housing bond to subsidize more affordable development.