Inventory and Assessment

Current Conditions

Although characterized by a largely mature and stable housing stock, Atlanta’s total number of new housing units added over the last five years is impressive.  Over 5,000 new housing units have been developed (Community Design Center of Atlanta).  Over the past eleven years, housing enterprise zones have helped stimulate approximately 8,375 housing units.  The Atlanta Housing Authority, in its new role as joint-venture housing developer, has converted 13 communities into 9 revitalized mixed income communities plus 3,232 new units. The Empowerment Zone has supported housing through its housing mortgage assistance programs for first time buyers, the housing rehabilitation activities and improved neighborhood planning.

Through December 2002, 247 applicants have received mortgage assistance since inception of the Empowerment Zone program. Seventy-seven Empowerment zone residents received mortgage assistance and 170 residents who moved into the empowerment zone received mortgage assistance. 

The targeted rehabilitation/home-ownership programs throughout the city, coupled with the many “super-block” initiatives have added a significant stock of improved housing units. The Neighborhood Code Enforcement Deputies program has empowered community residents to assist in the residential code inspection and enforcement process.  The synergy created by the diverse assortment of housing advocates (public/private/profit/nonprofit), has greatly contributed to the improvement of the existing housing stock.

While Atlanta's housing stock is generally old, 84,682 units or 35.3% of units were built prior to 1960.  80% of the units are in standard condition, i.e. meet local codes.  Over one-half (56.3%) of the City's occupied units are rental; just 43.3% units are owner occupied. ARC estimated that the number of occupied housing units in Atlanta increased from 155,752 to 167,977 (a 7.8% increase) during the period from 1990 to 1998, and the percent of vacant units declined from 14.8% to 9.8%.  The percentage increase of owner occupied units is 9.4% or 6,314 units from 67,159 units (1990) to 73,473 units (2002). Most of the new units in the City of Atlanta are located in Midtown, Old 4th Ward, Grant Park, Buckhead, East Atlanta, Bedford Pine, Southwest Atlanta, High Point, Carver, Castleberry, and Downtown.  Nearly three quarters of the new additions to stock were rental units and over one-half of all new units were located in Buckhead.  One-half of the new rental units are studio or one-bedroom units.  Rents on the north side of the City were the highest in the region at $864.  The average rent in the City of Atlanta is $606.

There has been less single-family than multi-family construction in Atlanta in the 1990's. Between 1990 and 1998 in the city of Atlanta 3,326 single-family units as opposed to 9,601 multi-family units were produced. Because the affordability problem is, first and foremost, one of renters, new market rate single-family home construction often does not address this problem.  Furthermore, considerable demolition of single-family homes also occurred, much of it related to the Olympic Games. In the 1990’s 6,000 single-family units were demolished.

The average price of a new owner occupied unit was $135,000 in 2002.  Existing housing located near Atlanta's central business district and rapid transit lines has attracted middle and upper income households, but affordable housing is scarce and the supply appears to be diminishing.

49% of City land use is residential. Between 1990 and 2000, 13,258 housing units have been added to the housing stock.  In 1990, 81,905 single-family units and 92,800 multi-family units existed.  In 22000 88,905 single-family units and 98,903 multi-family units existed.  There is also a third category of housing on the rise - loft housing.  Loft units come in many varieties, ranging from single-family to multifamily.  10,900 lofts have been developed over the last five years. Housing choice is the primary reason why Atlanta is favored for its various housing types and stable neighborhoods.  

Atlanta’s Present Housing Market

The most important change to occur over the past several years is the return of market-rate housing to the center city.  This has created an enormous shift in market momentum.  No longer is Atlanta characterized by stagnant or declining housing prices and anemic new housing starts.  No longer are abandoned houses, vacant lots, and dilapidated commercial districts signs of a declining city core.  They are the raw material for revitalization, adaptive reuse, and large new mixed-use residential/commercial ventures.  Atlanta is experiencing a wave of demand-based, market-driven housing production, as reflected in the fact that the City actually gained population in the 10 years between 1990 and 2000.

Today’s housing environment is completely different from conditions that existed in past decades.  A stagnant housing market has been replaced by dynamic construction and rising prices.  Linkage of transit facilities to live/work centers has led to the proposal of denser projects that may set the stage for even faster housing unit production in the future.  Demographic changes, including greater income and racial diversity in the City’s population is also in evidence.

The North Atlanta housing market, which includes the midtown and downtown areas, is experiencing the most growth due to the growing demand for condominiums and intown living.  North Atlanta received approximately 1,651 new residents due to sales in both single familyandcondominium sales.  The Midtown and Downtown areas had approximately 1,035 sales of single family and condominium sales.  The southern part of Atlanta had approximately 640 home sales with the majority of them being single-family housing.

Overall, the housing market fared well in 2002, along with the US economy. While Atlanta’s affordable housing market has continued to stay strong, market rate housing has begun to sag.  Apartment vacancies have increased and sales in middle and upper income housing have declined.

Affordable Housing Needs and the City’s Priorities

According to the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) 1999 Population and Housing Report, Atlanta had 190,916 housing units in 2000, 88.6% of which were occupied and 11.4% vacant. Average household size in 2000 was estimated at 2.37 for owner occupied housing and 2.25 for renter occupied housing. Housing values in the City have increased 45% since 1990.   The median value for a single-family unit is $130,600 in 2002000.  The median rent increase since 1990 is 43% from $442 in 1990 to $606 in 2000. 

According to 2000 U. S. Census figures, 24.3% of Atlanta households or 40,936 households earned less than $15,000 annually.   HUD estimated the median household income increased from $22,275 to $54,700 (a 145.6% increase) between 1990 and 1998.  24.4% of the City’s population was at or below the poverty level at 95,743 persons in 2002000. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates Atlanta's unemployment rate for 1998 was 3.2% compared to 7.2% for 1990.

The supply of affordable housing is decreasing due to the demolition of substandard single-family and multi-family structures and the gentrification of intown communities.  The supply of housing is 10% per year, according to the Community Design Center of Atlanta.

The City of Atlanta is increasing its efforts to combat the decrease in affordable housing and the increase in gentrification.  Gentrification can be defined as “an increase in property values, resulting from development that often creates economic tensions and displacement of low income homeowners and renters of all age groups within the neighborhood as well as results in a change in the character of the neighborhood.

Affordable housing should also be differentiated from low-income housing.  Low-income housing is housing affordable to a person or family based on median income levels and housing costs, typically as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing.  For example, the median household income in the city of Atlanta for2000 was approximately $35,000.  The median household income in metro Atlanta is $63,100. At 80% of the area median income, a resident cannot exceed $50,480 to be considered low and moderate income. At 50% of the area median income a resident cannot exceed $$31,500 to be considered low income. At 30% of the area median income a resident cannot exceed $18,930 to be considered very low income.

Affordable housing is a more general term without specific percentages and levels attached to it.  Affordable housing applies both to areas that are being gentrified to more expensive areas of the City where the middle class can have trouble meeting their housing costs.  Several new housing initiatives have been created to promote affordable housing in the City.  These include the affordable housing set asides in new zoning districts and new residential development, and in the Livable Communities Initiative sponsored by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC).    Housing Needs Assessment

The Atlanta Outreach Consortium (AOC) Affordable Housing Needs Assessment projected that 63,392 (37.1%) of Atlanta households with incomes less than 95% of the area median family income would have housing problems in the year 2000, and predicted that a larger percentage of the City's households would experience housing problems in the next five years.  Renters are 2.7 times more likely to have housing problems than owners.  Black households are disproportionately affected by housing problems.  Blacks represent 85% of over-crowded renter households, and 72% of households with a housing cost-burden. Affordability is the primary problem for households in substandard housing conditions.  Women are more likely to live in substandard housing conditions. The median age of renters with housing problems is 36.6 years and the largest single group is between 30-39 years old. The single largest group of homeowners with housing problems is age 60 and older; but the median age for homeowners with housing problems is 48.6 years old. Two-thirds of households with housing problems are in the labor force.  (see Table 7.1 ‘Housing Units by Structure Type *Comparison, City and State, 1980-2000’)  The distribution or percent share of single family to multifamily remains at fifty/fifty (50/50).  Both structure types gained units at a rate that produced the same percent share in 1990 and 1999.

Table 7.1 Housing Units by Structure Type *Comparison, City and State, 1980-2000
 

Single Family

Multi Family

S-F Share (%)

Area

1980

1990

2000

1980

1990

2000

1980

1990

2000

City

92,122

92,481

92,953

86,046

87,046

97,362

51.8%

50.6%

48.8%

Georgia

1,525,070

1,712,259

n/a

334,622

334,622

n/a

75.8%

64.9%

n/a

Source:  U.S. Bureau of Census, 1980 and 1990 state figures; Atlanta Regional commission for all other figures

*Total housing units include single-family, multifamily, and mobile homes; however, for convenience, mobile homes are not included in this table.

Housing Occupancy Status

According to the 1999 Population and Housing Report, produced by ARC, Fulton County still leads the 10-county region, reporting 798,300 residents in 2000.  The region’s housing stock increased by 320,628 units between 1990-2000, a 30.5% increase.  Multifamily units account for 23 percent of the nine-year increase in the region, with most of the remainder of the growth in the single-family category.  The city has experienced a pattern of slow and steady growth in occupancy status (See Table 7.2 ‘City and Region Housing Units by Occupancy Comparison, 1980-2000’). 

During the period between 1980 and 1990 the City experienced a dip in the number of occupied units; by 2000 the occupancy rate was 89%.  The region also experienced an occupancy rate drop between 1980 and 1990. The entire state during that time was experiencing a tremendous boom in the housing market at a rate that outstripped the region’s ability to occupy.  At the City level, total units during 1980-1990, only grew 2.2%, so that occupancy kept pace with the number of total units.

Table 7.2 City and Region Housing Units by Occupancy Comparison, 1980-2000



1980

City

1990


2000

Region

1980


1990


2000

Total Units

178,754

182,754

190,916

681,520

1,052,430

1,373,058

Occupied Units

162,553

155,752

169,201

86,046

944,601

1,242,269

Occupancy Rate

90.9%

85.2%

88.6%

93.8%

89.8%

90.5%

Source:  U.S. Bureau of Census, 1980 and 1990; regional figures: Atlanta Regional Commission for all other figures.

Renter-occupied units were prevalent in the City in 1990 (48.5%), while owner-occupied units were predominate in the state (58.2%).  The owner-occupied vacancy rate was only 5.3%.  The owner renter category has also remained stable since 1990, while 1998 figures reveal a 50% split between owners and renters, unchanged since 1997.

Mayor Shirley Franklin with the assistance of the Atlanta Housing Task Force has shaped the housing policy in the following executive summary of “A Vision for Housing in Atlanta: Great Housing in Great Neighborhoods.”

(see attached, executive summary between pages 7-6 and 7-7)

Public Housing

The Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta, Georgia (AHA) is the largest affordable housing provider in the City of Atlanta.  AHA administers a number of major programs that provide housing units to low-income families. The major programs include conventional public housing and the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program, formerly the Section 8 certificate and voucher program. The Housing Authority serves a total population of just over 46,000 persons. The Housing Authority’s total unit inventory of 23,429 units includes 12,676 conventional public housing units and 10,753 units under the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program.

Since 1995, AHA’s programs, policies and projects have changed drastically.  Once considered one of the most poorly run housing authorities in the nation, the Atlanta Housing Authority is now considered a leader in affordable housing development and management.

Over the past five years the Housing Authority has been working to strategically improve affordable housing and the City’s neighborhoods through the implementation of the Olympic Legacy Program.  The Olympic Legacy Program is designed to demolish the most distressed public housing communities and replace them with healthy, whole, vibrant communities that provide excellent housing for families across income lines as well as the quality of life neighborhood amenities necessary to attract and retain families with choices. 

Based on the premise that all families should live in excellent communities that will allow them to excel and achieve, the Olympic Legacy Program is based on five goals:

  1. Low-income families must be a part of mainstream society and the economic, social and psychological isolation endemic to traditional public housing communities must be ended,
  2. Work should be valued, therefore all resident programs should be oriented to support jobs, job training, education and appropriate recreational programs for youth and seniors,
  3. Leverage shrinking Federal dollars,
  4. Assure that the new public housing assisted units will remain affordable for at least 40 years, and
  5. All revitalization activity must be an asset to the community, the neighborhood, and the City of Atlanta.

Building on the these principles, the Olympic Legacy Program is designed to reposition a large portion of AHA’s housing stock by demolishing dilapidated and distressed public housing and rebuilding those communities, in partnership with private sector developers, into mixed-income, mixed-finance and mixed-use communities.  The Olympic Legacy Program has become the national model for community revitalization utilizing a strategy that de-concentrates poverty by mixing families with a very broad range of incomes into market quality housing. In each of the Olympic Legacy Program communities, families assisted through the public housing program who may pay as little as $25 per month in rent live next door to families who earn as much as $100,000 or more annually.  In each of the Olympic Legacy Program communities, between 50% and 70% of the apartments are affordable (through the use of low-income housing tax credits, public housing assistance or a combination of the two), thereby guarantying that desirable units in the City of Atlanta will be available to low-income families long term.  When completed, the Olympic Legacy Program will have demolished over 5,000 dilapidated and distressed public housing units and created approximately 5,000 new, market quality, mixed-income apartments with approximately 2,200 public housing assisted units, 1,200 affordable units, and 1,600 market rate units. To date, the Olympic Legacy Program has closed on 1,133 new, market quality public housing assisted units, 604 new affordable units and 1,041 new market rate units, all of which are indistinguishable in terms of location, quality and amenities.  Another 1,002 public housing units, 585 affordable units and 567 market rate units are in various stages of planning and predevelopment. (These units do not include planned neighborhood investments that have resulted from AHA’s redevelopment program.) As part of the Olympic Legacy Program, AHA’s Section 8 voucher program has grown to such an extent that AHA is now serving more families than ever before.

The Mixed-Income Model envisions the creation of a public/private partnership formed as the result of a competitive procurement process.  AHA enters into a long-term ground lease with the partnership (among an AHA affiliate, an affiliate of the private sector developer and tax credit investor) and the partnership develops the residential housing.  The private sector partner brings to the partnership private financing resources that would otherwise be unavailable and which, when added to the public housing development funds (that are loaned by AHA to the partnership) and other resources, provides most of the funding needed to develop the residential component.  AHA and the partnership enter into a regulatory and operating agreement that restricts a percentage of the housing units for public housing eligible families.  Typically, fifty to sixty percent of the development budget is debt and equity raised by AHA’s private sector development partner from private resources (including the sale of low-income housing tax credits and conventional debt).  The private sector development partner is responsible for repayment of the debt and generating a return for the investors.  The new communities are managed by a private property management agent hired by each of the development partnerships.  This model has become known nationally as the Mixed-Income Model.  By using the Mixed-Income Model, AHA is providing the public housing resource inside of truly economically sustainable communities, with wonderful quality of life infrastructure, frequently including such neighborhood amenities as new schools, new YMCAs, retail development, banking institutions and child care facilities.  Market demand at all the mixed-income communities across all income ranges has been excellent to date.

The table below reflects current and planned development activity by the Atlanta Housing Authority, including the Olympic Legacy Program.

Table 7.3 Innovative Revitalization – Atlanta Housing Authority

COMMUNITY

TOTAL UNITS

DEVELOPED OR PLANNED

TOTAL UNITS BY TYPE (1)

TOTAL AMOUNT OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT (2)

PH

TC

MR

Centennial Place (3)

738

301

126

311

$150 million

The Villages of East Lake

542

271

0

271

$101 million

The Villages at Castleberry Hill

450

180

90

180

$65 million

Magnolia Park

400

160

81

159

$169 million

Summerdale Commons

244

74

120

50

$16 million

Columbia Village

100

30

70

0

$9 million

Capitol Homes

748

299

150

299

$136 million

Perry Homes (4)

1,500

268

137

345

$306 million

Grady Homes

TBD

TBD

TBD

TBD

$81 million

Villages at Carver

718

359

151

208

$198 million

Harris Homes

560

260

104

196

$91 million

Ashley Courts at Cascade

288

87

129

72

$42 million

Ashley Terrace at West End

112

34

34

44

$7 million

Columbia High Point Estates

94

30

64

0

$8 million

Columbia Commons

158

48

33

77

$9 million

Capitol Homes (5)

1,044

358

289

398

$180 million

Perry Homes (5)

700

228

156

316

444 million

TOTAL

8,436

2,987

1,734

2,926

2,012 million

(1)  PH – Public Housing, TC – Tax Credit, MR –Market Rate. It should be noted that some public housing units might be funded with a combination of public housing funds and tax credits.
(2)  Includes estimated on-site and surrounding neighborhood investment.
(3)  The 738 total units number does not reflect proposed 162 homeownership units.
(4)  The proposed development program for Perry Homes includes 750 on-site housing units and approximately 750 off-site housing units. The actual number of off-site affordable housing units is to be determined.       
(5)  Perry & Capitol Homes were active in the calendar year 2002. Capitol Homes is currently in the demolition phase and Perry Homes will complete development of first units in July 2003.

Benefits of the Olympic Legacy Program to the City of Atlanta

  1. Low-income families who need and are eligible for public housing assistance are able to live in excellent market rate housing with wonderful quality of life amenities in an economically diverse and integrated community.   The public housing assisted families continue to pay 30% of their adjusted income for their contribution to rent.
  2. The public housing assisted apartments remain affordable for 55 years, so long as there is a subsidy provided by the housing authority to cover the operating costs of the apartments.
  3. The low-income housing tax credit financed apartments remain affordable for a period of 15 to 30 years as part of the community.
  4. Fifty to sixty percent of the apartments in each new community are returned to the real property tax rolls upon revitalization.  If there is a housing enterprise zone designation, the return to the tax rolls is phased in after year five.
  5. The market rate apartments (typically 40% of the apartments in a community) have attracted market rate families from outside of the perimeter, reversing the trend of families leaving the City of Atlanta.
  6. This program allows new development and growth while protecting and improving the affordable housing resource for low-income families.
  7. Property values in the immediate and surrounding neighborhood have increased significantly.
  8. This model has encouraged other investment and development in the revitalized neighborhoods, many of which had suffered from disinvestment for many years, and has and will continue to generate additional fees and taxes to the City of Atlanta.  
  9. Violent and drug related crime has dropped by at least 90% to 95% in revitalized communities.
  10. By working in partnership with the Atlanta Public School System, the neighborhood schools, especially the elementary schools, have undergone substantial improvement.
  11. The City of Atlanta’s investment in the revitalization of the Olympic Legacy Program communities of  $70 million will leverage into over $1 billion of new investment in the City of Atlanta.
  12. The investment in the future of the children, families, elderly and disabled is immeasurable, but without question extremely positive.
  13. Public improvement funding contributes to the solution of the infrastructure changes that otherwise would have to be made pursuant to agreements and undertakings by the City of Atlanta with the Environmental Protection Division.

The City of Atlanta has been an essential partner in the revitalization of the communities mentioned above. AHA has requested that the City continue its critical support of the Olympic Legacy Program by committing approximately $71.4 million over the next seven years to pay for public infrastructure. The City’s investment of $71.4 million is expected to leverage an additional $1 billion in new development in the City.  Property taxes on the non-public housing assisted units (after the expiration of any housing enterprise zone designation) are expected to generate approximately $2.5 million annually.  Additional private investment in these neighborhoods is expected to follow, generating additional fees and taxes for the City.

Table 7.4 Public Improvement Funds Request  – Atlanta Housing Authority

COMMUNITY

TOTAL

Villages at Carver

$15,300,000

Perry Homes

$22,291,236

Ashley Courts at Cascade

$723,800

Harris Homes

$11,903,799

Capitol Homes

$9,041,427

Grady Homes

$6,194,582

Englewood Manor

$3,205,000

Villages of East Lake

$189,677

The Village at Castleberry Hill

$536,000

Magnolia Park

$908,500

Northyards Business Park Homeownership Initiative

$1,094,836

TOTAL

$71,338,857

Source:  City of Atlanta, Department of Planning


Condition of Housing Stock

Age

The percentage of aged housing stock, over 60 years has decreased significantly since 1990.  Since that time 8.1 percent of the housing units in the state were built before 1939.  The percentage of older housing units has decreased considerably since 1970, when 47.6% were built before 1939.

Plumbing Facilities

Primarily because of demolition of old units, the number of housing units in the City lacking complete plumbing decreased by almost 50% between 1980 and 1990.  In 1990, such units made up 0.8 percent of the City’s total.  This compared to 1.1 percent for the state.

Structural Condition

Substandard Conditions

While Atlanta’s housing stock is generally old, the City’s Consolidated Plan reports that most units, 80%, are in standard conditions (meets local codes).  The remaining units (all housing - occupied and vacant), is substandard.

Substandard housing is considered suitable for rehabilitation if the rehabilitation costs do not exceed 50% of the replacement cost of the dwelling.  The estimates also suggest that of the 35,785 total substandard units, occupied and vacant, approximately 32,230 units (17% of total housing stock) are substandard and suitable for rehabilitation.  The remaining 3,535 substandard units were deemed unsuitable for rehabilitation and should be demolished.  That was in 1993; by 1995, nearly 2,700 units were demolished (See Table 7.6 ‘Housing Units Permitted for Construction and Demolition:  1990-1999’).

Table 7.5 Condition of Housing Stock Comparison, City and Georgia,  1970- 1990

City

Georgia


1970

1980

1990

1970

1980

1990

Built before 1939

81,318

37,614

34,540

419,370

296,662

212,938

Percent total

47.6%

21.1%

18.9%

28.6%

14.7%

8.7%

Lacking Complete Plumbing

12,586

2,893

1,462

193,748

35,769

28,462

Percent of Total

7.4%

1.6%

0.8%

13.2%

1.8%

1.1%

U.S. Bureau of Census, 1970, 1980 and 1990

Occupied Housing Units Condition

The AOC Study estimated that 44,769 units, or 28.7% of the City's housing stock, are physically substandard (i.e. units that do not meet HUD housing quality standards and/or local housing codes).  Of that number, 20,004 were multi-family units and 24,765 were single-family units (largely renter occupied homes).  The estimates identify 37,632 housing units that lie in census tracts in which one-third or more of the households earn less than 30% of median family income.  Seventy-two (72%) percent of the estimated 20,004 substandard multi-family units are in small developments of 10 units or less.

The study cross-referenced the City of Atlanta's 1999 Code Violation Survey with property-tax delinquent parcels recorded in the 1998 City Tax Digest and 1998 Property Tax Assessment Database. The analysis was restricted to 1) housing units located in census tracts where one-third of the households have incomes below 30% of the area median family income and areas that generally have high levels of aging housing stock (built 40 years or earlier) property values assessed with a low base value ranging between $20,000 to $35,000.  Housing units that require repairs that exceed $2,500 were counted as substandard units.

Pockets of substandard housing units are located in neighborhoods in Atlanta-DeKalb (Edgewood, Kirkwood, East Lake, East Atlanta), south central Atlanta (Westview, Oakland City, Venetian Hills, Sylvan Hills), South Atlanta (Lakewood, South Atlanta, Polar Rock) and northwest Atlanta (Grove Park, Center Hill, Hunter Hills, English Avenue).  The high level of substandard housing conditions substantiates the need for City sponsored housing rehabilitation programs, especially in lower-income residential areas that have a high density of substandard conditions.  According to the AOC Study, approximately 67 million dollars per year is needed over a ten-year period to rehabilitate 4,000 units annually (at an average cost of $15,000 per housing unit) to eliminate the existing substandard housing conditions in Atlanta.

Table 7.6 Housing Units Permitted for Construction and Demolition:  1990-1999

# of Units Permitted

for Construction

# of Units Permitted

for Demolition

Net Gain or Loss

1990

2,499

488

2,011

1991

934

359

575

1992

621

409

212

1993

877

689

188

1994

1,102

817

285

1995

2,151

1,925

226

1996

2,892

2,454

438

1997

1,941

1,173

768

1998

2,603

715

1,888

1999

5,431

2,218

3,213

Totals

21,051

11,247

9,804

Source:  Bureau of Buildings, 2000

 

Figure 7.1 Change in Housing Units

Figure 7.1 Change in Housing Units (Popup full image) 

Housing Values

Between 1970 and 1990, housing values within the City of Atlanta have steadily increased.  The 2000 median value of a home (HUD Economic Analysis Branch) is $130,600 in the city of Atlanta and 150,000 in the metro Atlanta area.  There was a 54.3% increase over the 1990-1998 time period (See Table 7.7 ‘Housing Values Comparison, City and Georgia, 1970, 1980, 1990 and 1998’).  Atlanta leads the region in median housing value.  During the decade of the 1990’s the monthly rents have more than doubled.  Strong development trends have been produced by massive public and private investment within the city’s redevelopment areas as well as the Atlanta Federal Empowerment Zone.  The Atlanta Housing Authority’s new emphasis on mix-income communities has also contributed to the upward trend of both mortgage and rental rates.

Table 7.7 Housing Values Comparison, City and Georgia, 1970, 1980, 1990 and 1998




1970


1980


1990


1998

Percent Change 1990-1998

Percent Change 1980-1990

Percent Change 1970-1990

Owner Median Value

City of Atlanta

$19,800

$31,800

$71,200

$109,900

54.3%

123.9%

259.6%

Renter Median Value

$98

$148

$342

$712

108.1%

131.0%

249.0%

Owner Median Value

State of Georgia

$14,600

$23,100

$71,300

n/a

n/a

208.6

388.3

Renter Median Value

$65

$153

$344

n/a

n/a

124.8

429.2

Source:  U.S. Bureau of Census, 1970, 1980, 1990 and HUD Economic Analysis Branch, 1998
Dale Henson & Associates: U.S. Housing Markets


Table 7.8 Housing Values in City and Region, 2000

Area

Median Home Value

Median Monthly Rent

City

$130,600

$606

Metro Atlanta

$150,000

$799


Housing Market Activity

Atlanta’s housing market is strong.  In 2000, occupied units represented 88.6% of the total housing stock, compared to 90.9% in 1980 and 85.2% in 1990.  Occupancy rates in the City were less than the region levels of 90.9% in 1980 and 85.2% in 1990.  Renter-occupied units were predominant in the City in 1990 (48.5%, while owner occupied units were predominate in the State 58.2%) (see Table 7.2 ‘City and Region Housing Units by Occupancy Comparison, 1980-2000’).

Table Table 7.6 ‘Housing Units Permitted for Construction and Demolition:  1990-1999’ reveals a strong development and demolition pattern.  Between the years 1993 and 1996 (pre-Olympic), a total of 5,885 units demolished.  The impact of this deficit was offset by aggressive development.  During the same period, 7,022 new residential construction permits were granted.   The City will continue to experience an increase in the total net development activity.  Five years after the Olympics, the City experienced extremely high new residential permit activity, while the number of residential demolitions dropped.  In fact, the net gains in housing units from 1998 and 1999 exceeded the net gains per year from 1990-1997.  A report from the Bureau of Buildings has given current information on the number of units gained and lost over the last two years. From 2001 to 2002 the total net gains increased.  In 2001, the total net gains were 914. Then in 2002, the total net gains increased 3,399 units reaching total net gains of 4,313 units. There were only 39 total units lost in 2001, however in 2002, 1,708 units were lost due to either demolitions or multi-family units converting to single-family units. Only time will tell if housing growth has peaked for the time being.  Statewide, housing starts are expected to decline by 10.6 percent, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia.  Current and future development patterns will emphasize a greater consideration for transportation impact mitigation and redevelopment of the urban core.  Major planned housing developments within the Downtown area core are projected to create approximately 10,000 new/renovated-housing units.

Housing Enterprise Zone

Administered by the City, the Urban Enterprise Zone Program is approximately fifteen (15) years old.  It is an incentive program with components that stimulate housing and mixed-use residential/commercial enterprise zones.  An urban enterprise zone (UEZ) is a designated boundary within a depressed area where the City of Atlanta and Fulton County may abate ad valorem taxes on new development, rehabilitation and certain inventories in order to encourage private investment and to expand the tax base over the long term.  The City may also waive development impact fees associated with development within enterprise zones.  The six types of urban enterprise zones are as follows: Housing, Mixed-Use Residential/Commercial, Commercial, Industrial, Mixed-Use Commercial/Industrial, and Business. The tables below are organized by enterprise zone type. As shown in Tables Table 7.9 ‘Housing Enterprise Zones’, Table 7.10 ‘Residential/Commercial Enterprise Zones’, and Table 7.11 ‘Industrial, Commercial and Business Enterprise Zones’ and Map 7-1, to-date the City has created approximately 73 urban enterprise zones (housing, commercial & industrial).

Among the city’s housing programs and projects, the Urban Enterprise Zone Program stimulated more than fifty-three (53) housing enterprise zones, producing a total of 10,325 units by December 2002.  Table 7-9 only represents the housing enterprise zone activity.  The urban enterprise zone program also creates opportunities for mixed-use residential/commercial zones.  As of December 1998, there were a total of thirteen (13) such zones, producing some 1,500 new and/or rehabilitated housing units and approximately $203,000,000 in total private investment.

Table 7.9 Housing Enterprise Zones

Projects

Effective Date

Acres

Type of Development

Total Number of Units

Private Investment (Millions)

McGill Place  (Expired on 12/31/97)

1/1/87

15.6

Condominiums

188

$ 16

McGill Park (Expired on 12/31/97

1/1/88

11.4

Condominiums

224

17

North Avenue Apartments (Cityscape)  (Expired on 12/31/97)

1/1/88

5.5

Apartments

192

10

Renaissance Park Phase III (Siena)(Expired on 12/31/98)

1/1/89

7.81

Condominiums Townhouses

173

16

North Grant Park (The Oaklands)(Expired on 12/31/98)

    a. New Construction

    b. Rehabilitation

1/1/89

45.7

Single-Family/Duplex


49

61

15

Clark Atlanta University (Expired on 12/31/99)

1/1/90

5.99

Single-Family/Duplex

22

2

Peeples Street (Expired on 12/31/99

1/1/90

6.0

Single-Family

43

3

Four Oaks (Expired on 12/31/99)

1/1/90

21.0

Single-Family

70

5

North Grant Park (Apts.) II

New Construction

Rehabilitation (Expired on 12/31/99)

1/1/90 &

1/1/92

15.8

Single-Family/Duplex

45

21

5

Post Renaissance I (Expired on 12/31/00)

1/1/91

7.7

Apartments

225

14

 Post Renaissance II (Expired on 12/31/01)

1/1/92

5.1

Apartments

117

35

Grant Park Apartments

(Expired on 12/31/01)

1/1/92

29.2

Apartments

302

4

Vine City (Northside Plaza Apartments) (Expired on 12/31/01)

1/1/92

5.2

Apartments

127

6

 Welcome House (Expired on 12/31/01)

1/1/92

1.4

Single Room Occupancy

209

4.2

West End

1/1/96

11.1

Apartments

358

14.8

Parcel 25 (Courtyard at Maple) (Expired on 12/31/02)

1/1/93

8.4

Apartments

182

9

Summerhill (The Orchard) (Expired on 12/31/02)

1/1/93

7.1

Single-Family

37

2

1. MLK Jr. Landmark District

1/1/95

7.3

Single-Family/Duplex

41

3

2. West End

1/1/96

11.1

Apartments

182

9

3. Mechanicsville

1/1/96

28.0

Apartments/Townhouses

266

12

4. Santa Fe Villas

1/1/96

4.8

Single Room Occupancy

149

3

5. Greenlea Commons North

1/1/96

6.4

Townhouses

117

9

6. Terry Place

1/1/96

6.5

Single-Family

43

2

7. Terry Place Expansion (’98)

1/1/96

1.6

Single-Family

6

1.25

8. Summerdale Commons

1/1/96

6.6

Apartments

108

7

9. Grant Park Village (Moreland Woods)

1/1/96

26.3

Apartments

344

12

10. Techwood/Clark Howell II

1/1/97

23.6

Apartments

300

33

11. Springbranch

1/1/97

14

Apartments

142

4

12. Enclave at Renaissance

1/1/97

6.2

Apartments

125

12

13. Columbia Plaza

(Expansion in 1999)

1/1/97

5.1

2.1

Apartments/Rehabilitation

Apartments

96

24

3

985k

14. Techwood/Clark Howell III & IV

1/1/97

12

Apartments

369

15

15. Piedmont Commons

1/1/98

8.5

Apartments

254

23

16. Colonial Square Apartments

1/1/98

17.25

Apartments

196

9.2

17. Martin Luther King Landmark District Phase II

1/1/98

7.25

Single Family and Apartments

40

4.2

18. Renaissance Square

1/1/98

1.1

Apartments

182

10.3

19. Esquire Village

1/1/98

10

Apartments

144

10

20. John Eagan Homes

1/1/98

13.2

Apartments

220

16.1

21. John Hope Homes

1/1/98&

1/199

8

20.23

Apartments

165

285

12.5

24.7

22.  Arcadia Downs

1/1/99


Apartments

68

1.6

23. Hillside Park Apts

1/1/99

20

Apartments

160

10.8

24. Kings Manor Apts

1/1/99

3.8

Apartments

94

8.3

25. Hollywood Courts

1/1/99

7.6

Apartments

136

2.1

26. Washington Street

1/1/99

6.2

Apartments

64

1.1

27.High Point Estates

1/1/00

36.2

Apartments/Single Family

109/90

24

28. Kimberly Court Apartments

1/1/00

14

Apartments

156

12

29. John Eagan Phase II (Magnolia Park Apts)

1/1/00

12.71

Apartments

180

13.1

30. Fern Avenue

1/1/00

4.82

Single-Family

30

2.8

31. CAMP

1/1/00

8.8

Single-Family

24

2.3

32. DOBBS

1/1/00

3.2

Single-Family

39

1.9

33. Reynoldstown

1/1/01

8.2

Single-Family (Rehabilitation)

25

50

2.5

34. Savannah at Washington

1/1/01

5.5

Single-Family

12

5

35. Carver Homes

1/1/01

10

Multi-family

240

20

36. Allen Temple

1/1/01

35

Apartments

581

22

37. Augusta Hills

1/1/01

19.5

Apartments

214

16

38. New Carver Homes Phase II

1/1/01

9.5

Apartments

58

20

39. Kimberly Courts Phase II

1/1/01

19

Apartments

246

12

40. Lakewood Pointe Townhomes

1/1/01

6.9

Fee Simple Townhomes

50

5

41. Peaks at West Atlanta

1/1/02


Apartments

214

16

42. Park Place South

1/1/02


Townhomes/Condos

534

60

43. Ponce Springs

1/1/02


Apartments

123

16.5

44. Custer Avenue

1/1/02


Single-Family

93

4

45. Athens Avenue

1/1/02


Apartments

5

589k

46. Cornerstone Terrace (One West End One)

1/1/03

6.7

Apartments

161

12

47. Crescent Hills/Hammond Park Village

1/1/03

18

Apartments

244

17.5

48. Hill Street Lofts

1/1/03

5.687

Condominiums

146

16.2

49. Misty Amber Senior Apartments

1/1/03

5.5

Senior Apartments

152

13.8

50. Carlyle Park

1/1/03

5.77

Single-Family Attached Units & Townhome Units

72

11.3

51. Holly Ridge Apartments

1/1/03

13.85

Apartments

216

13.7

52. The Peaks at MLK Jr. Drive

1/1/03

10.85

Apartments

183

14.4

53. Etheridge Courts Apartments

1/1/03

21.737

Apartments

354

14

TOTAL


1,173.4


10,325

$700.9

* The above information is the status of revitalized communities approved by the Atlanta Housing Authority as of December 2002.


Table 7.10 Residential/Commercial Enterprise Zones

Projects

Effective Date

Acres

Type of Development

Total Number of Units

Private Investment (Millions)

1. Fulton Bag Mill

1/1/96

12.5

Apartments and Retail


300

$32.0

2. Atlanta West Block (City Plaza)

1/1/96

3.1

Apartments and Retail


174

25.0

3. Castleberry Hill

1/1/96

8.2

Single/Multi-Family, Condominiums, Office


144

4.1

4. Five Points

1/1/96

1.2

Apartments, Condominiums and Retail

254

21.0

5. Margaret Mitchell Square

1/1/96

1.1

Student Housing and Retail

178

16

6 Freeman Ford

1/1/97

.25

Apartments, Lofts

27

2.9

7. Legacy At Centennial Olympic Park

1/1/99

8

Commercial, Retail & Residential

40

88

8. Fairlie Poplar

1/1/98

.29

Loft Apartments & Retail

15

1.3

9. Auburn Avenue Warehouse

1/1/98

9

Live/Works Lofts

160

1.3

10. Mattress Factory

1/1/99

 7.7

Apartments

46

20

11. Watkins Street

1/1/99

 1.3

Live/Work Lofts

4

      467k

12. Peachtree Kessler

1/1/99

 .5

Street Level Retail/Loft Highrise

52

        4.5

13. Carver Homes, Phase I & II

1/1/01





14. Castleberry Inn & The Legacy at Castleberry (Phase I)

1/1/02


Restaurant, Lofts,& SRO



15. Castleberry Inn & The Legacy at Castleberry (Phase II)

1/1/03


Lofts/Retail



16. Alta West



Apartments

265

27

17. Marietta Street

1/1/03

 10.9+

Apartments and Retail Space

308

30.2

18. Legacy Superblock at Castleberry Hill

1/1/03

 8

Apartments (Senior, loft, and live/work units), and commercial/office space

312

100

Total


63.04


2,229

353.7

COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISE ZONES

Projects

Effective Date

Acres

Type of Development

Total Number of Units

Private Investment (Millions)

Northwest I

1/1/98

55.4

3

50

6

Northwest II

1/1/98

54.6

4

70

6

DOME

1/1/00

30

2

310

$6

Johnson Research & Development

1/1/01

4.5

2

1,000

$20

TOTAL


144.5

11

  1,430

$38

Mixed-Use Residential/Commercial Enterprise Zones

Nine (9) residential/commercial mixed-use enterprise zones have been created since 1986.  More than 1,292 proposed new or rehabilitated units and over $203 million in proposed private investment.

Commercial/Industrial Mixed-Use Enterprise Zone Facts

Since 1983, two (2) proposed industrial enterprise zones have been created.  These zones are projected to create approximately 120 jobs and $12 million dollars in private investment.

Source:  Atlanta City Bureau of Planning, March 1998


Table 7.11 Industrial, Commercial and Business Enterprise Zones

Projects

Effective Date

Acres

Type of Development

Total Number of Units

Private Investment (Millions)

Industrial Enterprise Zones

1. Atlanta Industrial Park -I

1/1/84

343.7

43

1925

$60

2. Atlanta Industrial Park-II

1/1/86

55

3

147

15

3. Southside Industrial Park I

1/1/86

153.1

6

191

17

4. Southside Industrial Park II

1/1/89

142.9

1

290

8

5. Mindis Industrial

(formerly G.M. Lakewood Plant)

1/1/84

83.1

1


10

6. Space Center

1/1/96

31.4

1

150

11

7. Candler Warehouse

1/1/96

37.9

1

200

10

8. Capitol View Industrial

1/1/97

73

7

383

16.4

9. Hill Manufacturing

1/1/97

26.8

1

230

.8

TOTAL


946.9

64

963

$ 148.20







Commercial Enterprise Zones

1. Southside Distribution Center

1/1/93

18

2

200

1

2. Auburn Avenue

1/1/96

8

6

110

2

3. MLK/Ashby

1/1/96

13.5

10

200

17

4. 619 Edgewood

1/1/01

.5

1

0

1.5

TOTAL


 40

 19

510

$21.50







Business Enterprise Zone

Parmalat-New Atlanta Dairies

1/1/98

4.9

1

220

13

TOTAL


4.9

1

220

$13

Industrial Enterprise Zone Facts

Since 1983, nine (9) proposed industrial enterprise zones have been created.  These zones are projected to create approximately 963 jobs and $148 million dollars in private investment.

Commercial Enterprise Zone Facts

Since 1983, three (3) commercial enterprise zones have been created.  These zones are projected to create approximately 510 new jobs, retain 100 existing jobs and represent over $20 million in private investment.

Business Enterprise Zone Facts

Since 1997, one (1) business enterprise zone has been created.  This zone is projected to create approximately 20 new jobs, retain 200 existing jobs and represents over $13 million in private investment.


Map 7.1 Housing Enterprise Zones

Map 7.1 Housing Enterprise Zones (Popup full image) 

1. West End
2. Reynoldstown
3A. MLK Jr Landmark District Phase I
3B. MLK Jr Landmark District Phase II
4. Mechanicsville
5. Santa Fe Villas
6. Greenlea Commons North
7. Terry Place & Terry Place Expansion
8. One West End One
9. Summerdale Commons
10. Green Park Village
11. 150 Northside Drive
12. Springbranch
13. Enclave at Renaissance
14. Columbia Plaza and Expansion
15. Piedmont Commons
16. Colonial Square Apartments
17. Esquire Village
18. John Eagan Homes Phase II (Magnolia Park Apartments)
19A. John Hope Homes (Castleberry Village)
19B. John Hope Homes Phase II (Castleberry Village)
20. Renaissance Square
21. Arcadia Downs
22. Black Bear Apartments
23. Hollywood Courts
24. Kings Manor
25. Hillside Park/Orchard Ridge
26. Tyler Place
27-A. Techwood/Clark Howell Phase II
27-B. Techwood/Clark Howell Phase III & IV
28. Washington Street Apartments
29. Fern Avenue
30. CAMP (Dill Avenue)
31. Dobbs
32. High Point Estates
33. Kimberly Courts Apartments Phase II (Ashley Place)
34. Savannah at Washington
35. Carver Homes
36. Allen Temple
37. Augusta Hills
38. Lakewood Pointe Townhomes
39. Peaks at West Atlanta
40. Park Place South
41. Ponce Springs
42. Custer Avenue
43. Athens Avenue
44. 810 Marcus Street
45. Milltown Lofts
46. Kingstown Townhomes
47. New Carver Homes Phase II
48. Cresent Hills/Hammond Park Village
49. Hill Street Lofts
50. Misty Ambers Senior Apartments
51. Carlyle Park
52. Holly Ridge Apartments
53. The Peaks at MLK
54. Etheridge Courts Apartments

Total Number of Housing Enterprise Zones: 57