Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. has released the Affordable Housing Working Group Final Report, a guide for creating and preserving affordable housing around the Atlanta BeltLine. To support the development of a comprehensive housing strategy, ABI convened a panel of experts from the public, private, and non-profit sectors to serve as the ABI Affordable Housing Working Group. The Working Group is comprised of members from the following organizations:

• Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.

• BeltLine Affordable Housing Advisory Board

• Atlanta BeltLine Partnership

• Invest Atlanta

• Atlanta Housing

• City of Atlanta Department of City Planning

• GA ACT

• Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

• Enterprise Community Partners

• Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership

• TransFormation Alliance

• Quest Communities CDC

• Place Properties Inc.

• Columbia Residential

• Wells Fargo

• Carter Development

In April of this year, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms unveiled her administration’s vision for One Atlanta, an affordable, resilient, and equitable model for the city. Part of that vision includes world-class infrastructure, thriving communities, and residents that are equipped for success. The Atlanta BeltLine is a project that supports that vision; catalyzing jobs, housing, economic development and connecting residents to opportunities by way of infrastructure.

Brian P. McGowan, CEO of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., said, “Housing is key to affordability in Atlanta, and at ABI, we’re doing all we can to ensure that the benefits of the Atlanta BeltLine can be enjoyed citywide, across all economic demographics and within each neighborhood. This report will help us move even further in that direction.”

“This report would not have been possible without all of the right strategic alliances at the table,” said Ernestine Garey, Senior Advisor to the CEO of Atlanta Housing and Chair of the Working Group. “Likewise, a viable affordable housing initiative in Atlanta requires a comprehensive strategy where all key stakeholders are collaborating to ensure that we reach shared goals.”

To make a wider impact on affordability in the city, ABI must rely on strong alliances with strategic partners both within the TAD and the broader Planning Area. These alliances formed the foundation of The Working Group, who established eight key recommendations designed to achieve these goals based on policy, zoning, and capital strategies. The full housing report may be accessed here.

The Atlanta BeltLine is a transportation and redevelopment program that will connect 45 neighborhoods throughout the city via light rail, trails, and greenspace. As part of this comprehensive program, ABI is tasked with driving the creation and preservation of 5,600 new units within the Tax Allocation District. The TAD is a financial district that uses a tax increment to fund Atlanta BeltLine projects and operations, and revenues earned from the TAD must be spent within the TAD’s boundaries.

To date, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. and public agency partners have supported the creation and preservation of 2,642 affordable units within the TAD and Planning Area. 1,600 units have been created or preserved inside the Atlanta BeltLine TAD and an additional 1,042 units have been created or preserved in the BeltLine Planning Area. Although only the number of affordable units created inside the TAD (i.e., 1,600 units) are counted toward the 5,600 unit goal, the Working Group considered affordability within the broader Planning Area.