ATLANTA — The Atlanta Beltline says it is ahead of schedule in its effort to bring affordable housing to the popular trail, with thousands of units already built or in progress, and some residents paying less than $100 a month in rent.
Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Sophia Choi took a closer look at who qualifies, who’s paying, and how the projects are funded.
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One example is The Madison Reynoldstown, an apartment complex along Memorial Drive in southeast Atlanta. All 116 units in the building are designated for residents with low to moderate incomes.
People enjoying the Beltline say that access to the area and nearby housing should be available to everyone.
“I really want to make sure that you have many different types of people who are able to enjoy it,” said resident Dilan Mehta.
That’s the idea behind the city’s affordable housing push. Atlanta set a goal of creating 5,600 affordable units along the Beltline by 2030. Officials now say they expect to surpass that number, with nearly 80% of those units already completed or in development.
“We’re going to keep going, understanding the demand far exceeds 5,600 units,” said Dennis Richards, Vice President of Housing for the Atlanta Beltline.
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Nearly three-quarters of the units are reserved for people earning 60% or less of the area median income. According to the city, a household of four earning about $91,000 qualifies as low income.
Rent is based on income, typically capped at about 30%.
“Essentially 30% of that is what your monthly rent would be,” Richards said.
At The Madison Reynoldstown, rents vary widely from more than $1,000 a month to under $100 for some residents.
“Some folks [are] paying less than $100 as they try to get back on their feet,” Richards said.
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The Beltline says the housing projects are funded through a mix of public-private partnerships, developer agreements and tax dollars.
Some residents say that the investment is worth it.
“We’re making life better for people living here in Atlanta, that’s where I would hope my tax dollars are going,” one Beltline visitor said.
Officials say the work is ongoing, with about 500 additional affordable housing units currently under development along the Beltline.
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