In 2023, City Council invested heavily in youth initiatives, public safety and affordable housing

ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council wants to double down on plans to create more affordable housing options. It's an issue that impacts many residents. 

Hoderick Lowe has called Atlanta home all his life. However, Lowe said many of his friends and family who watched him grow up had fallen on hard times. He said they often don't have a home to return. 

"I've been here since I was a little boy, and I've seen it grow and change," Lowe said. "You only got three neighbors from back in the day. Everyone else is new. Sometimes, people are in a situation because they choose to be in that situation, and some are in the situation because they can't do better and can't get the help they really need."

Lowe believes there isn't enough affordable housing, and the city of Atlanta should work to provide more options. He said the Old Fourth Ward community in which he lived was feeling the pinch of disinvestment after Atlanta Medical Center shut down in 2022.

2023 saw millions invested in affordable housing initiatives in the city. For 2024, Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman plans to double down. Shipman said the new year brings with it new opportunities to break ground on new housing, to convert existing homes into affordable ones and allow longtime residents to stay in the city.

"There was a $100 million bond issue that was new. There was about $12 million in affordable housing dollars that came out of the budget itself for a housing trust fund," Shipman said. “Then we’ve seen the private side, federal grants, Invest Atlanta dollars. There have been hundreds of millions of dollars that have gone into affordable housing over the course of the first two years of this Council, and you'll continue to see us addressing homelessness issues, affordable housing issues, youth issues and infrastructure issues."

Shipman said more housing was coming, and more efforts were being done to prevent evictions and landlord disputes with tenants. It has been two years since Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens took office with the goal of the city creating or preserving 20,000 affordable housing units by 2030. In October, the Mayor's Office said it was 40-percent of the way toward reaching the mayor's goal.

Shipman said in 2024, the council will look to capitalize on relationships with developers to create more affordable housing options and make the permitting and inspection processes smoother and quicker. 

He said city council would also likely invest millions more in youth initiatives and affordable housing in 2024, along with tackling a tree protection ordinance. The body is also expected to address the city's short-term rental licensing program, build on the city's comprehensive development plan and upgrade the city's trash pickup and recycling service.

In 2023, the city council dealt with continued protests against the construction of a new and controversial public safety training center for Atlanta police and firefighters. Dozens were arrested in several protests throughout the year. The city expects the facility to be completed by the end of this year. The council also approved funding for public safety officer retention efforts, take-home police vehicles and new equipment and engines for firefighters.

Lowe hopes the efforts step up on affordable housing, calling the issue personal. His home has stayed in his family for generations, dating back to 1920. He hopes to keep that home in the family, despite it becoming increasingly expensive to do so.