Axios Event: Atlanta’s affordable housing is ‘turbulent,’ local leader says

ATLANTA – Atlanta is preparing for an influx of residents with an estimate from the Atlanta Regional Commission predicting that nearly 2 million people will move to the city in the next couple of decades, Atlanta Beltline CEO Clyde Higgs said.

• Axios Atlanta reporters Thomas Wheatley and Kristal Dixon moderated conversations with Atlanta Beltline CEO Clyde Higgs, Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman, Atlanta Housing CEO Terri Lee and Atlanta chief policy officer and senior advisor to the mayor Courtney English at an event on Oct. 16, which was sponsored by UL Standards & Engagement.

Why it matters: Atlanta's rapid population growth is happening alongside a dire shortage of affordable housing and the need for more transit in the city.

What they're saying: "I would submit to you that we don't have a choice, this is not optional for us to do transit," Higgs said of the city's plans to advance mass transit around the Beltline.

• Developing more mass transit is key to the city's ability to meet its affordability, accessibility and climate goals, Shipman said.
• "We will fail our future if we do not have mass transit on the Beltline," said Shipman.

The current state of affordable housing in Atlanta can be described as "turbulent," Lee said, adding that it's become more of a desperation than a need.

English said that the city is on track to meet Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens' goal to preserve or build 20,000 affordable housing units by 2030, and is doing so through tools such as housing vouchers, incentives for housing production and acquisitions of old buildings.

• Buying old buildings to convert to affordable housing units is a strategy the city sees as a promising solution moving forward. "We do believe that office-to-residential conversions represent the potential future of office space and affordable housing in the city," English said.

Sponsored content:

In a View From the Top sponsored segment, UL Standards & Engagement data science and standards engineering director Denice Durrant and director of government engagement David Martin spoke about the need to ensure the safety of e-mobility options as they become more popular in cities.

• "We have a report, and we found that over 50 percent of users actually use e-mobility devices, e-bikes, e-scooters to get to work," Martin said.
• "Making sure that these devices are safe is going to be really important," he added.