Key points:
• “Achieve the Dream” event to offer housing assistance programs.
• DeKalb County and NACA partner to promote homeownership.
• The free event will be open to residents from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Jan. 22, 23, 24, and 25, but the schedule could change based on the statewide weather state of emergency.
DeKalb County and the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA) are joining forces to make homeownership a reality for thousands of residents.
On Jan. 20, a panel discussion, “A Candid Conversation on the State of Housing,” brought together DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, Alan Ferguson Sr., DeKalb County’s chief housing officer and COO Zach Williams, and Bruce Marks, NACA’s executive director. The discussion is a part of the CEO Lecture Series.
Several residents and county officials were in attendance for the discussion about coordinated plans to address housing stability, housing costs, and the discrepancy between the cost of living and the income of the average DeKalb County resident.
Achieve the Dream
During the panel, the four-day “Achieve the Dream” event, which begins Jan. 22 and is sponsored by DeKalb and NACA, was announced. The event will serve as one of the key initiatives for DeKalb’s housing development plan. NACA, a non-profit, U.S. Department of Housing and Development-certified organization dedicated to making homeownership affordable for low-to-moderate-income individuals, has helped secure 75,000 mortgages over the last four decades.
“I am for housing for everyone, but I represent DeKalb County, DeKalb first,” Cochran-Johnson said. “So, it is my intent to do everything humanly possible, because I have to be very honest, you know, with a lot of what I’m seeing…I have concerns that current relationships and funding may change in the future. That’s a very real possibility.”
The NACA DeKalb County Achieve the Dream event, which began Jan. 22, seeks to provide DeKalb residents with financial and credit literacy programs, housing and homeownership counseling, increased access to down payment assistance, and long-term housing and financial stability, Ferguson said during his presentation.
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“DeKalb County is committed to advancing ambitious, resident-centered housing goals that expand access, affordability, and choice across the county, recognizing that the scale and urgency of today’s housing challenges require bold action and innovative solutions,” Ferguson said. “The county is prepared to take decisive steps –aligning policy, funding, and implementation tools – while actively leveraging strong partnerships with its cities, including Tucker, to respond to local needs in coordinated and meaningful ways.”
Housing in Tucker and beyond
Ferguson also met with Tucker officials on Jan. 15 during HouseATL’s Housing Roundtable about residents’ concerns about preserving housing and the threat of displacement.
“In Tucker, we heard concerns about the need for more diverse housing options given the aging population and influx of new residents, increasing density where it matters, and addressing the homelessness challenge,” Ferguson said. “Tucker’s challenges aren’t unique or isolated, and there is a great opportunity for the city to partner with the county and other regional partners on these housing issues.”
The Dream event is a gateway to diversified housing that is affordable and long-term for all DeKalb residents, Marks said. Residents are invited to come to the Achieve the Dream hub, located at The Gallery at South DeKalb (former JCPenney), attend a three-hour workshop offered by NACA, submit financial documentation at one of NACA’s kiosks, meet one-on-one with a NACA counselor to discuss “your individual circumstances,” and, finally, meet with a NACA mortgage specialist to be qualified that day for NACA’s best in America mortgage on that day, Marks said.
“You can be qualified or pre-approved in one day,” said Marks, who has been with NACA for 40 years. “So if someone wants to be a homeowner on the best terms, they need to come.”
The free Achieve the Dream event will be open to residents from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Jan. 23, 24, and 25, at The Gallery at South DeKalb, 2845 Candler Road, Suite A1, Decatur. NACA is spearheading the event and has opted not to change the schedule for Saturday and Sunday despite Gov. Brian Kemp’s state of emergency order.
“The county’s message is for people not to be on the road Saturday and Sunday,” said Dionna Smith, DeKalb’s chief communications officer. ” If NACA ultimately cancels Saturday and Sunday, they will carry those days over to another time.”
Cochran-Johnson will continue her CEO Lecture Series on topics that foster “meaningful dialogue around the issues that directly impact the quality of life” for DeKalb residents.
“Housing is foundational to economic stability, community health, and generational wealth, and it is critical that we continue these conversations together,” she said.
