Affordable housing has been an issue in Atlanta for a long time, but it became a highly contentious one surrounding Atlanta’s biggest development, the Atlanta BeltLine. Originally designed with affordable housing included, those plans were largely ignored. This caused rapid gentrification and reduced the availability of affordable housing wherever the BeltLine was constructed.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottom made affordable housing a key piece of her campaign, and has now followed through by signing legislation allowing the city of Atlanta to borrow up to $100 million in bonds for affordable housing.
From the Atlanta Business Chronicle:
The bonds go toward the mayor’s goal named "One Atlanta: Housing Affordability Action Plan" announced last year to invest $1 billion in public and private funds for more affordable housing in the city. The One Atlanta plan includes creating or preserving 20,000 affordable homes by 2026 and increasing overall supply; investing $1 billion from public, private, and philanthropic sources in the production and preservation of affordable housing; ensuring equitable growth for all Atlantans and minimal displacement; and to support innovation and streamline processes.
Much like our belief that diversity is beneficial for any landscape, we also believe diversity is key in our society. Whether that’s race, religion, gender, orientation, or income status, people of all backgrounds should feel welcome and have opportunities to contribute.
We are big fans of the MicroLife Institute for this very reason. Their tiny house developments are a unique solution for low income housing in urban areas, and we're excited to partner with them on two local initiatives in Clarkston and East Point by installing Productive Urban Landscapes in the tiny house communities.
These landscapes will offer residents an opportunity to live in a community with food security built in. By working with the MicroLife Institute, we can feed two birds with one seed by addressing affordable housing and healthy food access.