Mayor Andre Dickens, Councilmember Byron Amos, city leaders and dozens of community members joined the Westside Future Fund on Jan. 16 to cut the ribbon on 57 affordable units in English Avenue.
The nonprofit organization dedicated to Atlanta’s disinvested Westside neighborhoods opened two multifamily communities in English Avenue, with dozens of studio to three-bedroom apartments. 33 affordable units are at 839 Boone Boulevard and 24 at 646 Echo Street.
All of the units are “100 percent affordable” between 30 and 80 percent of the area median income. For one person in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell area, the median income is $67,500 — rent at 30 percent of the area median income would be $542 for a one-bedroom apartment.
It fits into Mayor Andre Dickens’ goal to build or preserve 20,000 units of affordable housing by 2030. So far, the city has built 13,000 units.
“We’ve been doing them 57 units at a time,” Dickens said.
It also marks another investment into the historic Westside, particularly in blighted neighborhoods like English Ave that have dealt with vacant and crumbling homes for decades.
Several corporations and philanthropic organizations invested $16.4 million into the project, including The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation and the James M. Cox Foundation.
“Developments like these represent more than just new buildings,” Atlanta District 3 City Councilmember Byron Amos said. “They represent stability, dignity and commitment to making sure longtime residents can remain and thrive in our neighborhoods as they help build them.”
The Westside Future Fund transformed the vacant lot into freshly-painted homes with stainless steel appliances and airy windows. It also includes 1,200 square feet of three “micro retail” spaces on the ground floor.
The retail spaces are still vacant, but Chief Real Estate Officer Rachel Carey said the organization is looking for local tenants. Westside Future Fund hired agent Toni Williams to hunt down the tenants.
Williams is “vetting” the potential vendors to see who can fit with the community vision. Carey said the fund will be “flexible” on commercial fronts, since the cost is partially underwritten by philanthropic dollars.
Carey said it will help support small and local businesses in “entrepreneurial endeavors” as they get off the ground. It’s all part of the Westside Future Fund’s goal to help historic Westside neighborhoods revitalize and develop into a community.
For Carey, the key part is simple: “centering the community in everything that you do.”
“Whether it’s the retail community, the business community, the community of families and residents who live here,” Carey said. “It’s building things at a scale to support that and then creating a culture that is supportive.”
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