POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. — Finding affordable housing is a struggle for many Americans. Now, one metro Atlanta county is reimagining what that could look like.
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Cobb County leaders are exploring new ways to address the housing crisis by creating the county’s first mixed-income community.
The project is a partnership between Habitat for Humanity of northwest Atlanta and a private developer, designed to create a path to homeownership for residents who might not otherwise have the opportunity.
“We need new solutions to solve new problems,” said District 4 Commissioner Monique Sheffield.
Sheffield says one of those solutions is turning land in Powder Springs into a mixed-income neighborhood. The development will include 36 homes, with one-third designated as Habitat for Humanity homes.
“When you have individuals from different incomes, different life experiences, they tend to create community a lot faster than folks who are just isolated in each of those silos,” Sheffield said.
Bakari Brooks, board chair of Habitat for Humanity of northwest Atlanta and a developer, says research supports the approach. He points to a Georgia study of a similar neighborhood in Atlanta that showed strong results.
“What they found was every single metric, from test scores to reduction in crime to increased community input, they all were off the charts,” Brooks said.
The homes will feature modern designs that match the surrounding neighborhood, aiming to integrate seamlessly into the community while addressing affordability.
Brooks says the need is clear.
“We have over 1,600 applicants applying for homes every year, and doing five or six homes a year just wasn’t really meeting the demand,” he said.
County leaders say this new approach is about finding balance.
“We need to look outside the proverbial box and say, how can we meet in the middle, and this is the middle,” Sheffield said.
There will be a priority application window for Cobb County employees interested in purchasing a Habitat home. Leaders hope to begin construction within a year.
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