ATLANTA — For Atlanta residents needing affordable housing, easier access to resources may be around the corner with help from a $1.4 million investment, according to an announcement from Mayor Andre Dickens.
The new investment will be used to help build a Housing Help Center and expand the Safe and Secure Housing Program.
Atlanta City Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari, who has developed several affordable housing initiatives within the community, praises this investment.
Keeping landlords accountable
Not only does Bakhtiari approve of the initiative, but she also hopes these funds will help hire more people to keep landlords accountable.
$800,000 of the investment will go towards the already existing housing program, which is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting property violations, particularly in areas with violent crime.
Those funds will be specifically used to hire more staff for the City Solicitor’s litigation team so that more cases can be prosecuted in the coming year.
“We have the great resignation we're dealing with where a lot of people are leaving the public sector to go private," Bakhtiari said. "So this is going to help make that more competitive and get the help that we need so that we can actually complete these initiatives."
Bakhtiari, who represents Atlanta Council District 5, has worked on providing free access to lawyers for residents to fight evictions and has helped adopt a housing voucher program, among other initiatives.
“The city does have the largest wealth gap in the country. Half parts of my district are more now poor per square mile than areas of Buckhead," she said. "Areas that were have been that are historically Black that were always affordable, are now selling parts of Reynoldstown."
The city said more than 50 properties had been flagged as high-priority because of the number of code violations and violent crimes. The mayor’s office believes this investment will also help address this quicker.
Establishing a Help Center
In addition to funding the housing program, the remaining $600,000 will be used to establish a help center, which will be a “one-stop shop for Atlanta residents seeking affordable housing resources,” according to the mayor's announcement.
Dickens believes this “one stop shop” is desperately needed since many of the resources available to residents are scattered across the city, making it hard for them to find the help they need.
In addition to centralizing the city's housing resources, the center will also:
- Connect residents with properties offering income-restricted housing
- Provide a comprehensive list of other housing resources (including owner-occupied rehab and access to legal counsel)
- Help residents report violations of the City’s Housing Code so the city can take action
“I think this is the first time in a long time when we’re looking at housing from every single angle," Bakhtiari said.
While the investment has earned praise, the Housing Justice League tells 11Alive that it should help tenants with uncooperative landlords, evictions and poor housing conditions instead.
"Stronger legislation is needed, with real enforcement," according to a statement given to 11Alive, which reads in part.
The Housing Help Center will be at City Hall and available “virtually via a website and hotline,” the announcement said. Officials expect the center to be launched by the end of summer.