Creating 20,000 Homes

Prior to his election, Mayor Andre Dickens set an “ambitious” campaign commitment goal of building or preserving 20,000 units of affordable housing by 2030.

Now, to remain true to that promise, Dickens got creative, opting to look right in his own backyard, so to speak, to find the resources for the new housing opportunities.

The city says it wants to target Atlanta residents who need it most—”from legacy residents and low-income households to the city’s unhoused population.”

Public property

In May 2022, Dickens started the Affordable Housing Strike Force made up of leaders from numerous sectors of Atlanta, including housing, education, and transportation.

Just last year alone, the group was able to advance 40 public land projects through the development pipeline.

The mayor didn’t stop there. Under the Strike Force, the Atlanta Urban Development Corporation (AUD) was formed. It’s staffed by real estate professionals with guidance from city employees.

The goal is to identify publicly owned property and partner with private developers, according to Atlanta Civic Circle.

Atlanta’s housing affordability problem

The median house list price in Atlanta is $375,000, less than the national median of $449,000.

But that doesn’t necessarily make homeownership affordable for its residents. The AMI (area median income) for the metro is $86,000 for a family of four. Anything less than that is considered low income.

“Families at this income level will have difficulty affording housing in many parts of the metro,” says Dan Immergluck, professor of urban studies at Georgia State University, on LinkedIn.