Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz announced a range of initiatives on Friday the unified government is undertaking to increase housing affordability. The update he provided during a news conference at the University of Georgia comes as the city-county government continues to work on its Future Land Use Plan, a proposal for future land use and growth over the next 20 years. 

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A study completed by HR&A Advisors in August 2023 on behalf of the county spurred many measures and found that Athens continues to struggle with housing supply and affordability. The report noted that while the number of households has grown by 20% since 2010, the rate of construction has dwindled to 5%. It also revealed that rent increased by 54%, far outpacing the rate of rising household income, which was 29%. 

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Elise Lodde, a third-year Health Promotion major from Roswell, Georgia, noticed a significant increase in her monthly rent for next year despite signing a lease early to return to her current apartment.

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“It increased by $70 for next year, even though I’m living in the same place,” Lodde said. “My roommates and I, we signed as early as possible.”

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Girtz compared the county’s population growth and cost pressures to those of the entire Sun Belt region, which has been driving the nation’s population growth for over a decade.

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“The demand not only here in Athens-Clarke County but in the region is increasing,” Girtz said. “We’re part of that swath of communities that are growing rapidly, and we need to be responsive to this.”

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Among the immediate measures the mayor discussed, he intends to propose a million-dollar affordable housing fund in the coming year’s budget. Girtz plans to utilize the fund in partnership with nonprofits and the Athens Housing Authority to purchase dormant and underutilized lots in neighborhoods with established infrastructure.

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In addition to funding new projects, the county is already implementing tax credits in exchange for investments in affordable housing. This has impacted redevelopment underway in north downtown and will contribute to a new development near Athens Technical College and a senior-focused affordable development near Atlanta Highway.

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Girtz called the strategy the “single greatest tool that localities are using to provide permanently affordable housing.” 

As the county is projected to add 30,000 residents by 2045, these direct solutions will complement the affordable housing initiatives in the county’s Future Land Use Plan, which aims to increase affordability by driving up density. Efforts will include increased by-right opportunities, single-family inclusionary zoning and multifamily redevelopment incentives.

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Topics: Housing, Affordable Housing, Kelly Girtz, Future Land Use Plan