The Atlanta Land Trust (ALT) and Cityscape Housing this week celebrated the start of construction on The Trust at Oakland City, a new mixed-income housing development.
The organizations are teaming up to develop and construct the project that will include 42 one-, two- and three-bedroom units ranging from 600 square feet to 1,500 square feet. Prices will start at $137,880. ALT aims to make half of the units affordable for families making at or below 60% of the area median income (AMI) and at or below 80% of AMI.
“This project presents an urgent opportunity to mitigate gentrification resulting from public investments in the area with a comprehensive, equity-driven approach that connects people, place and quality of life,” Amanda Rhein, executive director for the Atlanta Land Trust, said. “We are working to ensure Atlanta remains a city for all by providing permanently affordable housing that will benefit generations of Atlantans.”
The Kendeda Fund provided funding for the acquisition of the 3.5-acre site on which the project is being constructed, in addition to BeltLine Tax Allocation District funding through Invest Atlanta and Atlanta BeltLine Inc.
The Trust at Oakland City is expected to be complete in early 2026.
Mayor Andre Dickens joined the groundbreaking celebration.
“Like communities across our region and country, Atlanta has faced a housing affordability crisis that demands a massive, all-hands-on-deck response, and together, we’ve made great progress in our city,” Dickens said. “Partners like Atlanta Land Trust, Cityscape Housing and the Atlanta Beltline, Inc., make sure we’re well on track to meet and hopefully exceed our ambitious affordable housing goals. Knowing that this will be the site of 42 townhomes, 21 of which will be permanently affordable, proves that we’re moving towards permanent affordable housing in our city.”
The Trust at Oakland City is one of three multi-unit projects ALT is undertaking through the community land trust model, which creates a dual-ownership arrangement. This means low-income families purchase and own only the house, while leasing the underlying land. When the owner chooses to sell the home, it will remain affordable for the next family, even as the seller benefits from the equity they created while in the home.
