New city permit process to push affordable housing projects forward quicker

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The City of Atlanta is launching a new program to expand affordable housing options.

It’s launching a new permitting process so projects can be built quicker.

Elizabeth Banks is with Hope Atlanta, a nonprofit working to prevent and end homelessness.

“Right now, it’s very tough to find landlords that provide housing that is affordable, that have rents that can be covered by services or with their income,” said Banks.

Banks says she has seen how rising costs in rent have changed the scope of the city.

“It’s one emergency one, a flat tire, one illness that really sets people back. That means many of us are just one paycheck anyway from being homeless,” said Banks.

The Welcome H.O.M.E (Housing Opportunity Moves for Everyone) program will expedite the city’s approval process for affordable housing developments.

It applies to developers, non-profits, architects and affordable housing stakeholders.

City leaders say The “Melody” community in downtown Atlanta is an prime example.

The affordable housing project where shipping containers were converted into homes was completed in four months.

Josh Humphries, Senior Advisor to Mayor Dickens, says in the past there has been no dedicated process, delaying projects for months and even years.

“The Mayor set a goal when he took office to build 20,000 units of affordable housing in eight years in order to meet that we need to move fast. For too long it has been a government process that has been too slow.”

The program launches Feb. 12 as a part of the city’s “Affordable Housing Week.”

For more information on the program click here.