Greenbriar, housing and hope: Councilmember Wayne Martin’s agenda for District 11

Atlanta City Councilmember Wayne Martin says there are plenty of nights when he still thinks about what it felt like to go from homelessness to finally having a place to call home.

He remembers lying down at night and thinking about all the different beds he slept in as a child, including the time his family lived in hotels before entering a shelter. That lived experience, he says, has shaped every job he’s held and ultimately pushed him to run for office.

Now representing District 11 on the Atlanta City Council, Martin serves much of southwest Atlanta — from Venetian Hills to Campbellton Road to Ben Hill. Before stepping into elected office, he held executive roles at Morehouse School of Medicine, Comcast and Starbucks. He also served as executive director of the Atlanta Board of Education and as government affairs director for the Atlanta Housing Authority.