By Atlanta Habitat for Humanity staff
In the bustling urban landscape of Atlanta, homeownership represents more than just a place to live – it signifies stability, investment, and a pathway to building intergenerational wealth. However, behind the city’s gleaming skyline lies a stark reality: Black homeowners are disproportionately displaced from their homes and are less likely to benefit from recent economic growth.
In recent years, Atlanta has experienced a severe increase in housing costs, with median listing prices in the metro area, rising 63% over the last five years. For homeowners along the Atlanta BeltLine trail, property taxes have more than doubled, leaving them with higher costs for maintaining and living in their home. Families facing heightened property tax and repair costs are often forced to sell their homes, many times at below-market values to investors interested in the growth of the neighborhood.
Unfortunately, displacement of long-term homeowners is particularly prevalent in Atlanta’s historically Black neighborhoods, further deepening the stark homeownership divide between Black and White families.
Discovering WORTH Atlanta
The Wells Fargo WORTH initiative is a collaborative effort to create and preserve 6,000 homes for Black homeowners across the region, recognizing the importance of preserving homeownership for Black families.
Atlanta Habitat for Humanity is proud to partner with the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta to minimize the adverse effects of displacement in Atlanta’s historically Black neighborhoods. This work is particularly important in Thomasville Heights, where the organization has invested significant resources to support resident leadership development, increase community involvement, acknowledge the history of the community, and shift philanthropy into the hands of members of the community.
Atlanta Habitat in Thomasville Heights
In recent years, Atlanta Habitat for Humanity has served fifteen homeowners in Thomasville Heights through their Repair with Kindness program. The Repair with Kindness program supports homeowners in completing major repairs, such as accessibility improvements, carpentry, roof repairs, storm windows and doors, and mechanical systems. These kinds of repairs may not be done otherwise due to the competing costs of staying in their home.
To date, Atlanta Habitat has supported more than 280 homeowners in some Atlanta neighborhoods through its Repair with Kindness program, managing one of the region’s largest homeowner preservation programs.
Partners for preservation
Through the WORTH initiative, Atlanta Habitat aims to support more than 325 Black homeowners, helping to keep them in their homes and weather the pressure of heightened housing costs and property taxes.
To learn more about the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta WORTH Initiative, visit www.cfgreateratlanta.org/worth. Visit www.atlantahabitat.org/repair-with-kindness to learn more about the Atlanta Habitat Repair for Kindness Program.
Atlanta Habitat has done critical home repairs for 16 homes in Thomasville Heights, 291 in the City of Atlanta; a total of 413 in Atlanta, College Park, East Point, Fairburn, Hapeville, South Fulton, and Union City.
HOME is everything but having a home were every room, every floor board, every door knob, every hinge, every lock, and every window is safe, secure, and with state-of-the art features fosters contentment and joy for every family member living there. Thank you to programs such as WORTH, ATL Habitat, and Repair With Kindness for making a day to wake up to brighter and safer for a deserving family in ATL. The generosity and compassion of Atlanta’s assistance programs never ceases to amaze me.