Athens, GA
HR&A developed an Affordable Housing Investment Strategy for Athens-Clarke County that will more than double the jurisdiction’s affordable housing production. Our needs assessment, funding analysis, and stakeholder engagement identified strategies to deploy public dollars more effectively, moving beyond $1.7 million in annual federal entitlements to create local funding sources that increase flexibility and impact.
We collaborated with community stakeholders, housing advocates, and developers to verify quantitative findings and identify barriers and opportunities for efficient fund deployment. Our research concluded that Athens-Clarke County needed local funding both to increase overall resources and to gain flexibility in prioritizing programs meeting residents’ unique needs cost-effectively.
The Affordable Housing Investment Strategy provides Athens-Clarke County with clear pathways to establish local funding streams and deploy resources through programs tailored to community needs. This strategic framework positions Athens-Clarke County to substantially expand affordable housing production while ensuring public investments generate maximum impact for residents facing housing cost burdens.
- Report: $5 million public investment needed annually for affordable housing in Athens — Athens Politics Nerd
- Mayor Girtz’s plan to build affordable housing while cutting property taxes — Athens Politics Nerd
