According to the City’s website, in 2020, an Affordable Housing Task Force produced recommendations on preserving and increasing affordable housing options in Decatur. While several strategies from the Affordable Housing Task Force Report have already been implemented, a few significant actions steps are yet to be completed.
As a result, the City of Decatur will host a discussion focused on increasing the variety of housing options in traditional single-family zoning districts this Thursday, November 11, 2021, from 6 pm to 7:30 pm. This final virtual session will include a short panel discussion along with small group conversations and a question-and-answer period at the end of the meeting.
Additionally, the City is seeking input through a Community Survey, which is open until November 15.
Other Affordable Housing Task Force Recommendations that are under consideration or in progress include:
- Create Affordable Housing Advisory Board
- Tax Abatement for Affordable Apartment Complexes
- Revise the S-4 Homestead Exemption
- Revision to Existing Tax Payment Assistance Program
- Extension of MLK Service Project to Year-Round Program
- Rental Assistance Program
- Affordable Accessory Dwelling Unit Finance Program
- Increase Affordable Housing Supply by Developing Pipeline of Developable Land
- Developer Incentives for Affordable Housing
- Innovative Housing Typologies Development Impact Fees
Since the adoption of the policy, there has been movement on a few action steps, including the desire to hire a full-time employee to research and implement Task Force recommendations. Kristen Allin was hired last November as an Affordable Housing Fellow and is currently executing the affordable housing strategies.
According to the City’s website, the Decatur Land Trust (DLT) was also created and incorporated as a non-profit entity on July 23, 2021. The idea behind this recommended affordable housing strategy was to facilitate purchasing and developing homes, rental units, and land with 99-year renewable land leases to assure permanent affordability.
The City also adopted an Inclusionary Housing Policy to address the shortage of accessible for-sale and rental housing. While in the past, developers were encouraged to add new affordable rental units with density bonuses, since July 2020, new development with five or more units must set aside at least 10% of the units for moderate-income households.
If you are interested in either input opportunity, you can register here for the November 11th Virtual meeting. The link for the Missing Middle housing Community Survey open from October 1 to November 15 is here. Additionally, a Missing Middle Housing hotline at 470-868-5114 is available between the hours of 1–4 pm, Tuesday thru Thursday, October 26 – November 11. The public can call the hotline to ask questions, make comments, or learn about specific events.
One Response
One clarification: Decatur’s single-family districts aren’t traditional. They were rezoned to single family in the 80s. Traditionally, many of Decatur’s neighborhoods were mixed use and all were mixed type. This effort would be a return to historic norms.