“Through our shared belief that housing is a right, we are proud to work alongside the team at GROWTH by NCRC to preserve affordable options in our Westside community and help give the gift of homeownership to those who deserve a place to call their own,” said Bruce Deel, founder and CEO of City of Refuge. “Lack of affordability is not unique to Atlanta's Westside, but it stands to have an outsized impact on a community that is trying to keep afloat as economic challenges continue to put pressure on home prices. With our investment in affordable housing, we hope to be a catalyst for even more high-quality, affordable developments in the area that provide some much-needed breathing room for residents.”

The collection of five homes is the third affordable housing project to be developed by City of Refuge, with the organization recently completing the adaptive reuse of a former motel into “The 345”, a 31-unit community for men on the Westside, in March, and its first affordable rental community called “The 1300” in summer 2020. Last November, City of Refuge launched a $25 million capital campaign that will provide $8,150,000 in funding for additional affordable and transitional housing. 

This is the first collaborative development between City of Refuge and GROWTH by NCRC, an initiative of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) to provide pathways to homeownership for low-to-moderate-income families and/or in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods. The homes are part of GROWTH by NCRC’s mission to develop 1,000 homes, 30% of which will be permanently affordable, in low-to-moderate income communities around the city. 

“I’m delighted that we are able to assist the City of Refuge in its very significant mission by building five homes that we know will be put to great use in providing homeownership to the dedicated individuals and staff who serve them,” said Ed Gorman, Chief of Community Development at NCRC. “We appreciate our bank investors’ partnership with us that enables us to work with committed organizations like the City of Refuge, who are working hard to meet the needs of the most vulnerable populations around the city. These homes are part of our 1,000-home commitment to the City of Atlanta, and we are proud of that partnership and the one we have cultivated with the City of Refuge.”

Since the organization was founded in 1997, City of Refuge has transformed the lives of more than 35,000 people by providing the tools they need to break down barriers through a strategic mix of supportive services that target health & wellness, housing, vocational training and youth development. The nonprofit is headquartered in Atlanta’s historic Westside and has several satellite campuses across the country. 

To learn more about City of Refuge, visit cityofrefugeatl.org or follow the organization on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.