The Atlanta City Council has unanimously approved an Affordable Housing Impact Statement ordinance, which is designed to increase quality housing options in the city.

Some of legislative impacts in the Affordable Housing Impact Statement include acceptance of public and private grants, including federal and state funding for the construction and/or rehabilitation of affordable housing units, abandoned and blighted property legislation, changes to building permit fees and changes to demolition policies.

Yearly Report on Affordable Housing

Effective July 1, 2016, the Office of Housing will provide a yearly report to the Community Development/Human Resources Committee on any housing units funded in whole or in part by public grant dollars, for which Affordable Housing Impact Statements have been prepared within a 30-year period. The report shall specify whether the units still exist, whether they are occupied, and whether the cost for those units is consistent with the affordability price points identified in the original grant application.

“We need to start taking meaningful steps to increase quality housing options for the workforce of the City of Atlanta,” said council member Andre Dickens. “Hopefully, today we took an important first step to improve the lives of the people of Atlanta.”

Dickens has been collaborating with others to improve housing options for Atlantans over the past two years, including looking at what national best practices can be implemented.

Matthew Charles Cardinale, a law student at Gonzaga University, provided the draft language of the legislation for Dickens, who then helped tailor it for Atlanta.