A controversial apartment building for homeless senior citizens in the Kirkwood neighborhood received approval from the Atlanta Zoning Review Board on April 30.
The 0.66-acre property, located at the corner of Howard and Hallman streets, is owned by Turner Monumental AME, which proposed the project, and is currently zoned for a single-family home. The ZRB recommendation would change the zoning to PDH – planned development housing.
The Atlanta City Council Zoning Review Committee will consider the recommendation on May 11, while the request goes to the full city council on May 26.
Both Neighborhood Planning Unit-O and the Kirkwood Neighbors Organization (KNO) voted against the rezoning request, but there was no discussion by the ZRB before voting to approve the project following public comment.
Turner Monumental AME Pastor Jeff Cooper said the apartment building was in service of “making room for people who are often pushed out or seen as an inconvenience by society.”
Kirkwood resident Rebecca Serna, who is the executive director of Propel ATL, said she supported the project. “I’ve seen inclusivity and diversity decrease in the community. People can’t afford to buy a home in Kirkwood, and seniors have been pushed out,” she said.
Homeowner Zach Hodgins, whose home is next door to the property, said he supports affordable housing, but there were “zero guarantees that affordable housing will actually be built here.”
Hodgins said there has been a “bait and switch” by the developer of the project, Stryant Investments, with the project originally being pitched to the community as permanent supportive housing with social services on-site for homeless seniors. The zoning request summarizes the project as “47 multi-family residential units.”
The church and developer said the project would consist of 47 micro-apartments averaging 260 square feet. Tenants would be required to be age 62 or older, earning no more than $40,000 per year.
Resident Karen Hatcher said she was also a supporter and advocate for affordable housing, but described the Kirkwood project as “spot zoning” with aggressive density.
