In historic English Avenue, two new single-family homes rose into place in a single day this November — a striking moment in a neighborhood where high-quality, affordable homeownership has long been out of reach for many of the people who love this community most.
For Westside Future Fund (WFF), the installation wasn’t simply about construction speed. It was about expanding the tools available to help legacy residents rent, buy, or retain a home through Home on the Westside, WFF’s signature program.
“When you have 200-plus homes to build, you look at every option that helps you do things faster, easier, and with affordability in mind without ever compromising quality,” said WFF Chief Real Estate Officer Rachel Carey.
Innovation That Serves Affordability
The modular homes — both three bedrooms, three baths, and approximately 1,450 square feet — were fully constructed in a factory and then lifted onto WFF-owned land at the corner of English Avenue and North Avenue. With primary construction completed off-site, the homes can be set on foundation and ready for move-in within six to eight weeks, dramatically reducing the time it takes to deliver high-quality, affordable housing.
For WFF Vice President of Real Estate Development Lee Harrop, modular isn’t a shortcut. It’s a way to give families access to the same craftsmanship WFF is known for — just delivered differently, quicker.
“Once the crane left, you’d never know these were modular homes,” Harrop said. “Inside, they have the same finishes: granite countertops, durable materials, everything our buyers expect.”
Both homes will be priced at $350,000 and available to buyers with live, work, and learn connections to the historic Westside.
A Partnership Designed for Community-Led Revitalization
The project brought together development partners from Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership (ANDP), Fortas Homes as general contractor, and Impact Housing as the modular manufacturer.
In a conversation with ANDP, the organization emphasized that this collaboration works because WFF anchors the community’s vision, “WFF serves as the community quarterback for the historic Westside — coordinating partners, aligning resources, and keeping legacy residents at the center of redevelopment efforts. Together, we’re producing high-quality, affordable homes as part of a neighborhood-driven strategy — advancing our mission to expand access to opportunity while supporting a locally anchored, inclusive revitalization effort.”
ANDP also underscored why this modular pilot matters.
“For us, this pilot is an opportunity to learn alongside WFF about where modular construction may be useful in supporting high-quality, affordable homeownership — and to better understand the conditions under which it can be a practical tool for advancing affordability.”
A Visible Step Toward a Mixed-Income Community
These homes are part of six new homeowners created on English Avenue this year — a milestone Carey calls an important signal of progress.
“When was the last time you could say six new homeowners were created on English Avenue in a single year?” she said. “It’s a visible indicator of the work happening block by block.”
For WFF, the modular pilot is the kind of creative, resident-centered problem-solving that defines its mission: restoring a community with, not to, longtime residents and helping ensure the historic Westside remains a place they can call home.
Harrop sees modular as another tool that could help accelerate affordability where conditions allow.
“If modular helps us create more high-quality, affordable homes for legacy residents at scale, it’s a tool worth exploring and implementing,” said Harrop.
Home on the Westside in Action
Every new home brought online moves WFF closer to its long-term goal of creating a thriving, mixed-income community that Dr. King would be proud to call home — a place where people with deep ties to the neighborhood can stay rooted and build for the future.
On English Avenue, two new homes now stand as proof of what residents, partners, and WFF can accomplish together: quality, affordability, and belonging — built with care, and designed for the families who make the historic Westside home.
Interested in learning more about Home on the Westside and if you qualify? Visit www.homeonthewestside.com.
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