Back in December, when the People’s Community Land Trust told the residents living at 379 Elm Street, a dilapidated, nine-unit multifamily apartment complex in Atlanta’s English Avenue neighborhood, that it would be lowering their rent, the immediate reaction was skepticism. “Everyone was like, ‘What’s the catch?’” Nikishka Iyengar, founder and ecosystem director for The Guild, […]
Housing
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Inside Atlanta’s ‘Highly Hazardous,’ HUD-Supported Fairburn & Gordon Complex
Trinae Ward dreams of moving her family out of their rundown West Atlanta apartment one day. But for now, she’s grateful her 11-year-old twin daughters no longer fear someone reaching up through the floor and grabbing them while they shower. Maintenance crews recently patched up several large holes in the walls and floor inside Ward’s […]
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City’s ‘Rapid Housing’ for Homeless Proposal Angers Many in Mechanicsville
Mechanicsville resident Maurice Killing has been living on the streets for about three years, a reality he wants and expects Atlanta leaders to help him change in the near future. “I’m just hoping I can get another place to stay,” Killing said Friday while sitting in a lawn chair outside the tent city near Cooper […]
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Why Grove Park Residents Say This Housing Nonprofit Is Hurting Their Neighborhood
Grove Park residents are accusing a faith-based, affordable housing nonprofit of hindering Black homeownership in their community by buying up houses, refusing to sell them, and turning them into substandard apartments for rent. Grove Park Renewal’s stated mission is to “empower neighbors through quality, dignified housing.” Helping renters from the majority-Black, northwest Atlanta neighborhood become […]
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Black Airbnb Hosts in Atlanta Say City’s Short-Term Rental Policies Lack Clarity
For Nalah Garcia-Walker and her husband, real estate investing was their means of creating generational wealth. So when the couple decided to purchase their first property in Cascade Heights and convert it into an Airbnb two years ago, the decision was rooted in getting supplemental income outside of their day jobs. Garcia-Walker specializes in consulting, […]
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What You Need to Know About Short-term Rentals in Atlanta
With all the cultural attractions and sporting events Atlanta hosts each year, the city is a hot market for those looking to host a short-term rental as well as those looking to book their stay. There are more than 10,000 short-term rentals listed in Atlanta, including on Airbnb and Vrbo, according to Key Data. Whether […]
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The Rent Control Bill Stalled, but This Activist Isn’t Done Fighting
Margie McLeod spent Tuesday outside the Georgia State Capitol in downtown Atlanta trying to sway lawmakers to support a bill she already knew was unlikely to get signed into law this year. “I’m not the type of person to give up,” the 75-year-old community activist told Capital B Atlanta on Wednesday. “We don’t know what’s […]
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Atlanta Has an Affordable Housing Problem. Can John Legend Help?
In the pews of Atlanta First United Methodist Church in Downtown, John Legend is listening to a story from the Rev. Jasmine Smothers. The lead pastor is talking about her journey from seminary school to where she is now, standing in front of city leaders, housing organizations, and a couple of city photographers talking about […]
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Why This Black Lawmaker is Pushing Rent Control Legislation
A veteran member of the Georgia General Assembly is calling for an end to the state’s 39-year-old ban on rent control laws. State Sen. Donzella James on Thursday introduced a bill that would repeal sections of Georgia law barring local governments from issuing rent regulation restrictions. Georgia lawmakers issued a statewide ban on such laws […]
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Tenants Denied Rent Relief Express Outrage Over City’s $10M in Unused Funds
Cherie Miller was angry Monday morning when she heard that city leaders had announced plans to send $10 million in unused COVID-19 rent relief funds back to the federal government. The 55-year-old grandmother is in the process of being evicted from the Capitol Gateway Apartments near Downtown, where she’s been renting for the past 11 […]