DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County is moving forward with a $155 million housing initiative designed to expand homeownership, preserve affordable housing and revitalize neighborhoods across the county.
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The Decide DeKalb Development Authority Board of Directors has approved an agreement for the organization to administer $75 million of the Housing Investment Bond Program, which county leaders say is the largest housing investment initiative in DeKalb’s history.
Officials say the overall program is expected to leverage more than $1.2 billion in public and private investment while creating or preserving more than 10,000 housing units. The county’s long-term goal is to add 15,000 housing units by 2032.
The program includes funding for first-time homebuyer down payment assistance, home repairs for longtime homeowners, financing for affordable and workforce housing developments, neighborhood revitalization projects and services for people experiencing homelessness.
“Housing is economic development,” Decide DeKalb President and CEO Dorian DeBarr said. “When people can afford to live near where they work, businesses grow, neighborhoods stabilize and opportunity reaches every corner of the county.”
The program will be carried out through a partnership between Decide DeKalb, the DeKalb County CEO’s Office of Housing, the Housing Authority of DeKalb County, the DeKalb Regional Land Bank Authority and the Housing Development Corporation.
“Our residents asked us to invest in housing, and this is what that investment looks like in action,” DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said. “The Housing Investment Bond Program is about long-term solutions.”
County officials say information on eligibility, application timelines and available programs will be released as implementation moves forward.
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