ATLANTA — Editor's note: The video above is from the 11Alive Investigates series The Way Home.
People with Section 8 housing vouchers in Atlanta will have new opportunities to find a home in the city.
Atlanta City Council adopted a new housing initiative during its meeting Monday. The resolution, introduced by Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari, calls on city-supported developments to recognize Section 8 vouchers as income. The vouchers are distributed by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Currently, there is a backlog of more than 20,000 people and families waiting for placement across the City of Atlanta, the council member said. The measure hopes to help more people utilize these vouchers. The resolution also requests that Invest Atlanta, Atlanta BeltLine Inc., the Fulton County Development Authority, and MARTA adopt similar provisions.
"Housing choice vouchers extend dignity to those who are doing everything within their means to participate in the American dream but still fall short," Bakhtiari, who represents District 5, said in a news release. "This legislation removes that social stigma and affirms Atlanta’s commitment to quality housing for everyone."
With the resolution's approval, it now goes to Mayor Andre Dickens' desk for authorization. Once it receives his approval, it will go into effect next year and apply to all housing development, according to Bakhtiari.
11Alive Investigators are examing why tents line Atlanta's freeways and why families struggle to find stable housing in their three-part series The Way Home. Read part one here.