Posted inHousing Affordability

PHOTOS: Inside modular construction, a potential boon for housing affordability

They’re not mobile homes, but they did arrive on truck beds, already assembled and nearly move-in ready. Cecil Phillips, CEO of Place Properties, says volumetric modular construction is the way of the future and a technique that could produce more affordable housing in Atlanta and beyond. Phillips likes to say, “If the markets could build […]

Posted inHousing Affordability

Much-needed affordable rentals bound for fast-evolving Reynoldstown

More than 100 units of affordable housing are in the works in Reynoldstown, an east Atlanta neighborhood that’s been welcoming little more than luxury development in recent years. On Wednesday, the Atlanta Housing (AH) board of commissioners elected to extend the ground lease for a city-owned property at 890 Memorial Drive, paving the way for […]

Posted inAtlanta Civic Circle

To accommodate population boom, Atlanta must learn to use space smarter

Atlanta has all the tools it needs to be a dense, world-class metropolis, but the city’s leaders aren’t properly utilizing them in a way that could one day accommodate  the ongoing population boom and boost housing affordability. As housing experts and city officials will tell you, Atlanta today has plenty of construction-ready land, dilapidated and […]

Posted inAtlanta Civic Circle

‘Ragin’ Cajun’ riffs on voting rights and Corporate Georgia

The Ragin’ Cajun is back. We last checked in with national political strategist James Carville in January when he did a post-mortem of the 2020 presidential election and January’s twin senate runoff races which hoisted Georgia into the national political spotlight. In typical Carvillian fashion, the Georgia-born, Louisiana-raised lawyer gave his assessment of Georgia Republicans’ […]

Posted inHousing Affordability

New affordable housing district proves city could beef up inclusionary zoning policies

Developers in some Westside Atlanta neighborhoods will soon have to abide by new rules regarding affordable housing when reimagining property in the fast-evolving area. On Monday, the Atlanta City Council adopted legislation that creates the “Westside Park Affordable Workforce Housing District,” which includes neighborhoods encompassing the soon-to-be-completed Westside Quarry Park — such as Grove Park, […]

Posted inAtlanta Civic Circle

Atlanta’s emergency housing assistance program hasn’t taken online applications in nearly three months. What gives?

Nearly three months have passed since the City of Atlanta closed the online application portal for its COVID-19 housing assistance program, and it’s still unclear when exactly people will again be able to apply for potentially vital help. In August, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced that, with the support of federal COVID-19 relief money, […]

Posted inAtlanta Civic Circle

After withering for years, Forest Cove apartments headed for much-needed rehab

A Section 8 apartment complex on Atlanta’s southside that’s been falling apart for years seems primed for a revamp that officials say will finally make the property safe and livable. For years, residents at the Forest Cove apartments complained of dangerous, even “uninhabitable” living conditions, including rats, roaches, mold and structural failures, among other blight. […]

Posted inAtlanta Civic Circle

Georgia recognized for enhanced election security and innovation

By Tammy Joyner Georgia has been recognized by a federal election commission for its use of enhanced security measures and innovations during last year’s presidential election. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission cited the Georgia Secretary of State office’s use of line-monitoring technology to track wait times at polling places during early-voting and to address technical […]

Posted inAtlanta Civic Circle

Georgia probe, impeachment trial prove tough week for Trump

By Tammy Joyner Former President Donald Trump faces his second impeachment trial today with yet another investigation hanging over his head. Georgia’s Secretary of State announced Monday it was investigating Trump’s Jan. 6 call pressuring election officials to overturn the state’s 2020 presidential election results. Officials launched the investigation after George Washington University law professor […]

Posted inAtlanta Civic Circle

Democracy under siege: States introducing raft of voter-suppression bills

America’s main path to Democracy is under siege. More than 100 voter-suppression bills have been introduced in 28 states – including Georgia – in the wake of record voter turnout in the 2020 presidential election, according to the Voting Roundup 2021 study by Brennan Center for Justice. The 106 bills noted in the Brennan study […]

Posted inAtlanta Civic Circle

Atlanta media see big windfalls from campaign spending

By Tammy Joyner Atlanta media — notably TV stations — is estimated to have brought in more than $350 million from campaign spending during the presidential election and this year’s senate runoff races, making it one of the most profitable election cycles in recent memory. Definitive numbers on how much candidates and outside groups spent on campaign ads […]

Posted inAtlanta Civic Circle

Will Atlanta’s emergency housing assistance program take new applications soon?

The City of Atlanta intends to start accepting new applications for coronavirus-related emergency housing assistance. Some day. In a now-deleted Instagram post, Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development arm, announced that the online portal that allows people to apply for money to help with rent, mortgage bills or other housing-related expenses would open back up yesterday, Feb. 1. […]

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