Commission Unveils Regionwide Strategy To Help With Affordable Housing
A survey by the Atlanta Regional Commission found that nearly half of those living in metro Atlanta said they could not afford to stay in their community if they had to give up their current place.
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The Atlanta Regional Commission says it’s hoping to take a collaborative approach to solving the area’s affordable housing problems.
That’s the idea behind the new Metro Atlanta Housing Strategy.
A survey by the ARC found that nearly half of those living in metro Atlanta said they could not afford to stay in their community if they had to give up their current place.
And cities are starting to see that as a challenge – not only for keeping residents – but also for attracting new ones.
“It is a resource to help our local governments educate themselves about housing issues in the region,” said Sam Shenbaga, manager of the community development group with the Atlanta Regional Commission. “Help them analyze some of the issues and opportunities they have in their local jurisdiction. And, at the end of the day, also start to come up with an action plan to address housing challenges at the local level.”
Shenbaga says the commission’s strategy includes extensive data about affordable housing in Atlanta. He says an interactive website will also allow cities to see what other similar-sized communities around the region have done to address the issue.
“It is not ARC trying to tell communities what they need to do when it comes to housing. It’s us responding to what communities are looking for in addressing housing,” Shenbaga said.
Work on the strategy began in the summer of 2018, Shenbaga said. He says it incorporated input from elected officials, financial institutions, foundations, the development community, advocacy and nonprofit organizations and municipal governments.
“The solution to this is going to require something from each of those stakeholders. It’s not something the private market can fix. It’s not something city government can fix,” Shenbaga said.
U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia, who was honored by the ARC on Friday in Atlanta, echoed that sentiment.
“The only way we’re going to do it is to have government give a little, developers give a little, and consumers give a little,” Isakson said. “I’ve got some ideas, and I’m gonna work with you on it.”
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