Where Atlanta City Council runoff hopefuls stand on housing
Two Atlanta City Council contests for District 7 and District 11 are bound for Dec. 2 runoff elections. Atlanta Civic Circle asked the candidates how they’d wield the power of office to promote housing affordability. Their replies have been edited for clarity and length.
District 7 (Buckhead)
Thomas Worthy: I want to see more city-led mixed-income developments that create housing affordable for people earning 50% area median income (AMI) or less. We should have a dedicated revenue stream for this effort that encourages “missing middle” housing development, and we should create a centralized tracker for housing-code complaints to hold landlords accountable.
Thad Flowers: I support using city-owned land, modular construction, and public-private partnerships to create deeply affordable housing and repurpose vacant properties. Atlanta should build more “missing middle” housing, when supported by neighborhood groups. We should also make housing-code enforcement more stringent to hold HUD-backed landlords accountable.
District 11 (Southwest Atlanta)
Nate Jester: To foster deeply affordable housing production, I’ll expand the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and grow our relationships with nonprofit developers and housing service providers. I also support accesory dwelling unit (ADU) creation and small apartment development. I’ll coordinate with city departments and HUD to improve accountability and transparency for government-subsidized landlords.
Wayne Martin: Expanding the housing options for families earning 50% AMI or less requires bolstering project-based rental assistance programs. I also want to see more “missing middle” housing built.
Atlanta, Fulton voters approved senior property tax breaks
City of Atlanta and Fulton County voters overwhelmingly backed new homestead tax exemptions for seniors in Nov. 4 ballot referendums.
The three ballot questions — one for Atlanta residents and two for Fulton residents living outside the capital — asked voters whether they’d support new property tax breaks for homeowners over age 65 by reducing the assessed value of their primary “homestead” residence for the public school portion of their tax bill.
The aim is to offset rapid rises in home values, and thus property taxes, for people over 65, who are often living on a fixed income. While easing seniors’ property tax burden, the measures will divert property tax revenue away from local public school systems.
Atlanta halts some evictions amid government shutdown
In response to the federal government shutdown, Mayor Andre Dickens issued an administrative order in late October to prevent people who rely on rent subsidies from being evicted.
“The intent behind the eviction moratorium is to allow residents facing financial hardship due to the loss of SNAP benefits to have more time to pay their rent without threat of immediate eviction or financial penalty,” the mayor’s Office of Constituent Services said in an Instagram post.
Dickens’ order directed Atlanta Housing, the Atlanta Beltline, the Fulton County/City of Atlanta Land Bank Authority, Invest Atlanta, Partners for Home, and the city’s grants department to freeze residential eviction proceedings until the federal shutdown ends.
Time to fix Atlanta’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund?
Mayor Andre Dickens’ administration used over 75% of the $17 million disbursed to the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund in fiscal year 2025 to pay overhead, instead of funding affordable housing initiatives, an Atlanta Civic Circle investigation discovered in May. The mayor’s office spent $8.8 million to service housing-related bond debt and at least $4 million for city staff salaries.
That alarming revelation prompted Atlanta City Councilmember Matt Westmoreland to introduce legislation last month that mandates the Housing Trust Fund spends more on creating housing for poor people than it does on debt service and payroll.
Westmoreland’s proposed legislation instead requires that at least half of the dedicated fund is spent on affordable housing construction every year, with another 30% going to nonprofit housing programs. If the city council approves the measure as written, only 15% of the trust’s annual funding could be used to service housing bonds and just 5% could be used to pay administrative costs and staff salaries.
The city council’s Community Development and Human Services Committee approved the charter amendment in a Monday vote. Next, the proposed legislation goes before the Finance and Executive Committee on Wednesday. If passed there, it would go to a full council vote in early December.
HEARD ON HOUSING
Support displaced Section 8 families
A devastating blaze last week displaced eight residents from the Westside’s Woodland Heights apartment complex. Housing advocates had already spent years pressuring the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to improve unsafe living conditions at the Section 8 community, when a fire ripped through the D building last Thursday.
Local nonprofit Housing Justice League and others are organizing relief efforts for the affected residents, raising funds and collecting food, clothing, and hygiene products. Boyd Elementary at 1891 Johnson Road NW is a designated donation drop-off location weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Click here for more information.
ACC on WABE
ACC democracy reporter Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon joined WABE’s Rose Scott and other local political journalists last week to unpack the Nov. 4 election results. Focusing on cost-of-living issues, including housing affordability, Alessandro said, made the difference for democratic socialists who won big — including Kelsea Bond, who won the Atlanta City Council District 2 race outright against five challengers, and Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor.
Listen to the full discussion on WABE’s Closer Look here.
Today’s newsletter was written by Sean Keenan and edited by Meredith Hobbs. Your donation makes Housing Happenings and ACC’s housing reporting possible.