The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) today released a set of housing commitments from local elected officials across metro Atlanta after a seven-month leadership program focused on tackling the region’s growing affordability challenges.

The commitments were developed by participants in ARC’s Housing Leadership Academy, a program that brings together mayors and county commissioners to study barriers to housing production and identify policy changes they can pursue in their own communities.

Formerly known as the Local Leadership Housing Action Committee (LLHAC), the Housing Leadership Academy (HLA) was created by ARC to strengthen leadership and collaboration around affordability, one of the six strategies outlined in the Metro Atlanta Housing Strategy. Through a combination of in-person and virtual sessions, participants shared best practices, examined barriers to housing production and preservation, and learned from industry experts.

“The name might have changed, but the commitment to addressing our region’s housing challenges remains as strong as ever,” said Anna Roach, ARC Executive Director and CEO. “We’re grateful to the elected officials who invested their time learning, collaborating, and committing to move the needle on housing.”

The 2025 HLA cohort:

• Alieka Anderson-Henry, Clayton County Commission Chair
• Monique Sheffield, Commissioner, Cobb County
• Whitney Kenner Jones, Commissioner, DeKalb County
• Ann Tarply, Mayor, City of Hampton
• Kevin Lewis, Commissioner, Henry County
• Michael Price, Commissioner, Henry County
• Donya Sartor, Mayor, City of Jonesboro
• Teresa Thomas-Smith, Mayor, City of Palmetto
• JaNice Van Ness, Rockdale County Commission Chair
• Tuwanya Smith, Commissioner, Rockdale County

The program aligns with ARC’s mission to foster thriving communities for all within the Atlanta region through collaborative, data-informed planning, and investments.

Throughout the academy, cohort members worked through a three-phase process: developing a shared problem statement, engaging in shared learning with regional and national housing experts, and building consensus around actionable commitments tailored to their jurisdictions.

The cohort identified several critical focus areas requiring immediate attention to drive meaningful change:

• Aging in Place: Expanding housing options that allow long-term residents to remain in their communities as their needs evolve.
• Regulatory Barriers: Addressing zoning, building codes, and permitting processes that limit housing production and preservation, including exploring tools such as form-based codes to increase housing choice while managing density.
• Financial Strategies: Leveraging layered capital from municipal, private, and philanthropic sources to support the development of affordable homes.
• Homelessness: Better understanding and responding to the growing number of unhoused and working homeless residents across jurisdictions.
• Innovative Housing Options: Examining emerging models such as modular homes, pocket communities, cottage courts, and container housing to expand attainable housing choices.

The Housing Leadership Academy is supported by regional and national partners including the Urban Land Institute, Enterprise Community Partners, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership, and the Georgia Conservancy.

A new cohort will begin in the spring 2026. This year, city council members are encouraged to apply.