ATLANTA — The development agency that oversees the Atlanta BeltLine said this week that it has already surpassed its annual affordable housing goal through April.
Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) said in a release that, through the first four months of the year, 373 affordable units had been created or preserved within the BeltLine Tax Allocation District - generally, the areas right around the BeltLine.
ABI said its total goal for the year had been 320 units.
"While not a housing agency, ABI works closely with multiple partners to achieve affordable housing goals and provides capital to development projects that create affordable housing and commercial affordability within the BeltLine (Tax Allocation District)," the agency noted in its release.
ABI said that it can administer up to $2 million per development out of the Atlanta BeltLine Affordable Housing Trust Fund to support affordable housing goals. The agency also cited Atlanta's Inclusionary Zoning ordinances for the affordable housing push, saying they require "multi-family residential developers to set aside a certain number rental units for renters making 60-80 percent of our Area Median Income."
"Since then, with 35 projects either completed, under construction or in development in those zones, the inclusionary zoning ordinance has currently generated 781 affordable housing units, according to data from Atlanta’s Office of Housing and Community Development," ABI said. "And of these 35 developments, all but three are in BeltLine overlay districts."
The agency highlighted three developments that contributed to affordable housing growth this year:
- Skyline Apartments, which broke ground in March near the Southside Trail in Peoplestown and which, according to ABI, will contain 250 affordable units. It received a $2 million contribution out of the BeltLine's affordable housing trust fund.
- 55 Milton, which opened in May in Peoplestown. It also received a $2 million contribution out of the trust fund and ABI said it contains 156 affordable units.
- Parkside, which opened in June in Bankhead with all 182 units slated for affordable rates.
ABI also provided a list of market-rate developments that include some affordable units to comply with the Inclusionary Zoning requirements:
- Link Apartments (730 Glenwood Ave, NE): 38 affordable units at 80% AMI
- The Maverick, Phase I (72 Milton Ave, SE): 48 affordable units at 80% AMI
- The Maverick, Phase II (72 Milton Ave, SE): 17 affordable units at 80% AMI (under construction)
- The Skylark (1099 Boulevard, SE): 48 affordable units at 80% AMI
- Alton East (777 Memorial Drive #7000): 38 units at 80% AMI
- Aspire Westside (900 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd): 26 units at 80% AMI
- Verge Apartments (125 Milton Ave): 47 units at 80% AMI (under construction)
- Novel West Midtown (1330 Fairmont Ave): 34 units at 60% AMI (under construction)
- Fairfield Piedmont (1944 Piedmont Ave): 59 units at 60% AMI (under construction)