Housing Happenings: Rental assistance, Forest Cove drama, and more

The city of Atlanta recently debuted a new eviction-prevention initiative that allows low-income renters to receive up to $7,000 in emergency rental assistance.

The pilot program is administered by local nonprofit Star-C and funded by $2 million in seed money from the city’s affordable housing trust fund. Eligible applicants must earn no more than 60% of the area median income—or about $58,000 for a family of four.

Atlantans seeking help with rent should not wait until they’re being evicted or even behind on payments; renters facing financial hardship—whether U.S. citizens or not—can apply today.

“Our goal is to help people before it all happens,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said during a Nov. 21 webinar.

Applicants should apply through a portal managed by Archi Collaborative, which also assists metro Atlantans with mortgage relief and utility payments. They can follow up about their requests by emailing Star-C at atlrentsupport@star-c.org.

People without access to cell phones or computers can apply by visiting one of five city of Atlanta recreation centers:

• MLK Recreation and Aquatic Center: 110 Hilliard St. SE 
• CT Martin Natatorium and Recreation Center: 3201 MLK Jr. Dr. SW 
• Rosel Fann Recreation Center: 365 Cleveland Ave. SE 
• Dunbar Recreation Center: 477 Windsor St. SW 
• William Walker Recreation Center: 2405 Fairburn Rd. SW 

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Judge fines Forest Cove owner $10,000 for unsafe conditions

Atlanta Municipal Court Judge Christopher Portis last week fined Forest Cove owner Millennia Housing Management $10,527 for nine housing code violations related to the property’s unsafe conditions. 

The judge’s decision came the day after a building caught fire at the condemned and now vacant southside apartment complex—and almost two months after Millennia and the city sparred in a municipal court hearing over whether the Ohio-based mega-landlord was responsible for cleaning up the dilapidated property.

But the fate of Forest Cove is still very much up in the air. Millennia filed a separate federal lawsuit against the city in October, claiming that the city had unlawfully seized control of the apartment complex by having it condemned. 

The city is expected to file its own national federal class-action lawsuit in response, alleging Millennia has violated its tenants’ rights to stable housing by letting them live in dangerous conditions at properties it owns nationwide.

The protracted legal melee has complicated the Thomasville Heights Neighborhood Plan, a blueprint for the area’s revitalization. The community-crafted plan calls for Forest Cove, a 396-unit complex built over 50 years ago, to be demolished to make way for hundreds of new residences.

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Construction kicks off to convert Reynoldstown motel into deeply affordable housing

Construction crews have begun transforming an old motel in Reynoldstown into 54 affordable housing units, according to Urbanize Atlanta

Stryant Construction’s conversion of the 1960s Atlanta Motel building at 277 Moreland Avenue promises much-needed deeply affordable housing for people earning up to 30% of the area median income (around $29,000 for a four-person household), as Atlanta’s eastside becomes increasingly expensive.

The city of Atlanta’s homeless services partner, Partners For Home, will help select tenants for the Ralph David House apartments, including people experiencing homelessness. Renters will pay no more than 30% of their monthly income on rent and utilities—or nothing if they have no income.

The development could be move-in-ready in fall 2024, Urbanize reported.

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HouseATL reveals first legislative suggestions in five years

HouseATL, an influential coalition of civic leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, has unveiled a new legislative roadmap to expand affordable housing as the Georgia Legislature’s 2024 session fast-approaches.

This is the group’s first major housing policy update since its 2018 inception. The 23 new recommendations, released Nov. 16, aim to catalyze progressive housing legislation that would affect the five-county metro Atlanta region, which includes Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb, and Clayton Counties.

HouseATL’s policy agenda highlights six focus areas for metro Atlanta lawmakers:

• Earmark dedicated revenue sources for affordable housing development.
• Enhance and protect renters’ rights.
• Create sustainable housing funding sources for people earning under 50% of the area median income.
• Prioritize publicly owned assets for affordable housing.
• Provide resources to encourage affordable/starter home construction.
• Secure property tax exemptions for affordable rental housing.

Atlanta Civic Circle spoke with HouseATL’s executive director, Natallie Keiser, to find out how far we’ve come since 2018—and how far we still have to go to make living in metro Atlanta affordable for everyone. Read the full Q&A!

Have you got tips, story ideas, or questions about Atlanta’s multifarious housing issues? Email Sean Keenan at sean@atlantaciviccircle.org.