“Our biggest concern is we have seen what’s happened in New York City and San Francisco.”
That phrase was uttered Thursday during a meeting of Atlanta’s economic development arm by Invest Atlanta’s newly appointed CEO Eloisa Klementich about the issue of affordable housing. It’s a worry on many minds within city government as Atlanta rents rise and many of the newest apartment towers in the region target the top of the luxury market.
Atlanta City Councilman Andre Dickens, who is also on the Invest Atlanta board, has been spearheading an effort to create zoning that would require affordable housing in the mix for denser developments — perhaps including apartment and condo projects with 10 or more units. The proposed legislation, which is still in flux and will probably go before the City Council in mid-summer, will set a minimum requirement of units for residents at 60 percent to 100 percent of the area median income.
The goal is to make sure housing is available for a teacher or police officer in the area they serve, Dickens said.
Click here to read more on the city's push to boost the supply of affordable housing, or read Friday's edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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