Atlanta Civic Circle asked Board of Education hopefuls whether — and how — Atlanta Public Schools (APS) could use the land it owns to make housing more affordable for APS families. Many are financially strained by rising housing costs, and some are homeless. Here’s how the candidates said they’d address the issues:
Candidate responses have been edited for length and clarity.
District 2
Tony Mitchell: Yes, the board and the school district at large should play a larger role in shaping housing policy. With chronic student absenteeism of over 30%, which is due in part to housing issues, APS must inventory its property assets to identify affordable housing development opportunities.
Stephen Owens: I’m not a housing expert, but I think APS should sell its surplus properties so they can be built out with affordable housing. What’s more, as the Trump administration dismantles the federal Department of Education and Georgia laws leave renters with few protections, local school jurisdictions like APS must educate parents and students about their rights as tenants.
District 4
Jennifer McDonald (incumbent): As a Board of Education member, we have reviewed a list of APS properties with the school superintendent to understand how and where they should be better utilized to address Atlanta’s housing crisis, particularly for our unhoused students and families. I recommend we strengthen partnerships with the Mayor’s Office and nonprofits to ensure that we are using the right lens to determine where housing needs are most critical.
Sanjay Mendonca: We need to make better use of APS land to ensure students and their families aren’t displaced from their homes. Our neighbors and community organizations — including Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs) and civic associations — and public officials must be at the table for discussions of how that land is redeveloped, and how it can be utilized to address our student homelessness problem.
District 6
Note: Atlanta Board of Education District 6 candidates Tyrese Miller and Tolton Pace (incumbent) did not respond.
Michael Hopkins: APS should team up with Atlanta Housing to use surplus and underutilized school system properties for affordable housing. I would push for APS to be a more active voice in the conversation around housing affordability solutions and reducing student homelessness.
Patreece Hutcherson: No. If APS wants to help produce affordable housing, it should do that at properties the school system rents, not those it owns. APS should also reestablish connections with local businesses, like barber shops and hair salons, which can provide basic needs for our students to feel good when they come to school.
Jonathan Leon: Making use of APS’s underutilized property assets is key to making housing affordable to students and families. I fully support this kind of innovation and collaboration, such as the APS agreement with Invest Atlanta to transform former school sites into affordable housing complexes for low- and moderate-income households — specifically APS teachers, staff, and families.
Seat 8, At-Large
Kaycee Brock: APS must coordinate with the Mayor’s Office, the Atlanta City Council, and Invest Atlanta to identify the families most in need of affordable housing. For the students experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness, I recommend bolstering wraparound services — including access to food, counseling, tutoring, and transportation — to ensure APS families aren’t financially strained by the cost of living.
Royce Mann: APS currently owns 47 vacant or underutilized properties, which presents an opportunity to build affordable housing. These can also be sites for new wraparound services for APS families, from jobs training to educational assistance. I will also advocate for the creation of a Student and Family Support Hub in every APS cluster to provide supportive services and help APS families find affordable housing options.
Aisha Stith: I think APS should work closely with the Atlanta City Council, the Mayor’s Office, Atlanta Housing, and the private sector when considering housing solutions. APS needs to advocate for its students, but it is those groups’ responsibility to produce affordable housing. Expanding supportive resources for APS families can reduce housing insecurity and student homelessness.
Early voting for Atlanta municipal elections runs through Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 4. To find out more about the candidates and their responses to Atlanta Civic Circle’s candidate questionnaire, visit our Election Hub.