Category: Sustainable Communities

Efforts to stabilize communities often focus on what we can build: affordable housing, small businesses, childcare, and access to credit. These investments are essential, but they tell only half the story. Across Atlanta’s historically disinvested neighborhoods, wealth is not only scarce — it is actively being stripped away through predatory lending and high-cost financial products. […]

By Marjy Stagmeier, Founder and Board Chair, Star-C Programs When I first started offering resident services programs in my apartment communities, our actions were strongly embraced by the broader community. I think back to the year 2000 when we started an after-school program at Ashton Chase Apartments in southeast Atlanta, a 224-unit low-income property predominately […]

Each year, ANDP’s Neighbors Together Community Leadership Initiative (CLI) supports current and emerging neighborhood leaders in addressing a topic of community importance. This year, the CLI Team—Nadine Ali, Cassandra Brown, Wilita Frehiwet, DeBorah Hargrove, and Niya Randall—has teamed with ANDP to craft a topic on how self-care can empower both individuals and communities. Join us Saturday, […]

If executed thoughtfully, transformative development and special events have the potential to have a lasting impact on affordable housing, including homelessness. Development: Centennial Yards, previously known as The Gulch, aims to develop four million square feet of office space, 1,000 hotel rooms, nearly 1,000 residential units, retail and entertainment venues, public green spaces, and civic […]

At its April breakfast meeting, Star-C hosted a panel discussing The Flats and Villas at Stone Hogan, a 448-unit affordable housing community near Greenbriar Mall.  The panel was moderated by Audrea Rease and featured Tab Bullard (Zimmerman Properties), Christoper Myrick (Summit Contracting), Vickey Roberts (InvestAtlanta) and Dr. Kristen Horton (Principal, Continental Colony Elementary).  Areu Bros. […]

Along with hundreds of industry leaders, Star-C attended last week’s Georgia Affordable Housing Coalition Conference, where a key theme for project success was how to overcome NIMBYism—the resistance that often arises when affordable housing is proposed in growing communities.  At Star-C, we’ve learned that resistance softens when neighbors and community institutions feel seen, heard, and […]

Eviction courts play a critical role in Metro Atlanta’s housing landscape, affecting families, landlords, and community stability.  At Star-C’s recent February Breakfast, the chief magistrate judges from Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, Clayton, and Gwinnett counties provided updates on caseloads, court operations, and support programs. Key Updates: Looking Ahead As courts navigate eviction-related challenges, funding, staffing, and […]

Is the dream of homeownership out of reach? Nearly every state and city in the nation faces the triple threat of all-time high home sale prices, soaring mortgage interest rates, and a persistent lack of supply.  Equally troubling, rental housing is unaffordable for half of the nation’s renters, preventing low- and moderate-income families from saving adequate cash for a […]

Georgia Power filed their 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) with the Public Service Commission (PSC) on January 31, outlining how they plan to invest funds from their 2.8 million customers over the next two decades. Stakeholders and the public now have a valuable opportunity to engage in the process before the PSC votes on the […]

Celebrating its 20th year, Bank of America’s signature Neighborhood Builders® program continues to be one of the nation’s largest philanthropic investments into nonprofit leadership development, while providing unique multiyear flexible grant funding annually to two high-impact nonprofits in nearly 100 communities nationwide. In Atlanta Bank of America has named Tommy Nobis Center (TNC) as a 2024 Neighborhood Builders […]

Wednesday, December 4, 2024, 9:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.   St. Luke’s Episcopal Church | 435 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308 (Streamed Live on this website, YouTube and Facebook) According to the report 2024 Wells Fargo Impact of Women-Owned Businesses[1], 14 million women-owned businesses comprise 39.1% of all US businesses, employ 12.2 million workers and […]

The High Museum of Art is a mainstay of culture and community in Atlanta. Their recent project with the sustainable building nonprofit Southface Institute showcases how the museum cares for the planet too. The High has taken several steps to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions over the years, including replacing gallery lighting with LED […]

As concerns about energy costs, carbon emissions, and airborne hazards grow, more homeowners and housing developers are focusing on building performance. Over the past several decades, Georgia has become a leader in two of the most important performance indicators: the tightness of a home’s duct system and its thermal envelope (the walls, doors, windows, roofs, […]

With the Atlanta metropolitan region in a long-term crisis of steadily rising home prices and rents, land cost and housing availability pose significant barriers to affordability. Land ownership determines who makes decisions about valuable resources, captures economic gains, and the distribution of income, wealth and political influence. Recognizing the role of land in housing, the […]

Many developers are facing financing challenges this year, reporting a growing number of projects that have been stalled or canceled because of a lack of funding. In most cases, high interest rates, falling demand for commercial office space, and continued high costs for materials and labor are to blame.  As a nonprofit that works with […]

The Atlanta Food Access Investment Initiative among 16 Grantees Nationwide   In April 2024, Reinvestment Fund awarded $40,336,270 in grant funding for the Local and Regional Healthy Food Financing Partnerships Program (HFFI Partnerships Program) to support food financing programs in rural, urban, and Tribal communities across 20 states and Washington D.C.    Among the awardees […]

A process is about to begin that will shape Georgia’s energy future and, in turn, impact how much millions of Georgians pay on their monthly electricity bill.  Southface Institute is partnering with Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) to host a series of trainings on the 2025 Georgia Power Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and 2025 […]

In a joint venture, two Atlanta-based Housing Developers are partnering in the acquisition, renovation and re-stabilization of the Square at Peoplestown in the Summerhill neighborhood. The multi-million dollar project supported by Reinvestment Fund and led by two BIPOC-owned development firms—Atlantica Properties and Domos—represents a significant shift toward the preservation of affordable housing in the community.   […]

Today, those who own, lease, and operate buildings are increasingly exploring sustainability improvements that can be implemented at scale. The major drivers for this trend: an increase in data available for understanding building performance, the promise of lower utility bills, and a $1B federal investment to update energy codes and implement building performance standards through […]

A place to call home and a job that pays a living wage are fundamental building blocks to a safe and joyful life. Yet, homelessness continues to rise. Rising rents and the disappearance of pandemic aid have led to a 12% increase in homelessness in the U.S., as reported by the Department of Housing and […]