How Atlanta's growing economy burned low-income renters and homebuyers

1 year ago 52

Metro Atlanta is connected a blistery streak.

More than 6 cardinal radical present unrecorded successful the region, according to caller Census Bureau estimates. Experts accidental that's astir a 50% summation from 20 years ago.

"It's a immense summation successful population," said Dan Immergluck, a prof of municipality studies astatine Georgia State University. "That has taxed the portion environmentally."

Financial and tech firms proceed to flock toward metro Atlanta. This builds connected the city's beardown logistics, amusement and film, and wellness services industries.

Demand for prime lodging successful the portion has go fierce, peculiarly successful the metropolis center.

"Atlanta is becoming a wider city," said Nathaniel Smith, laminitis and main equity serviceman astatine the Partnership for Southern Equity. "Now, whether we'll beryllium capable to benignant of equilibrium that retired and guarantee that, you know, achromatic folks don't get pushed retired ... I'm not sure."

In September 2022, the median location successful the metropolis of Atlanta was valued astatine astir $400,000, according to Zillow's Home Values Index. That terms would beryllium retired of scope for the emblematic household successful the metropolis of Atlanta, which made about $64,179 annually successful caller years. Rents besides person ticked supra the nationalist median.

Some Atlanta locals judge ambitious municipality redevelopment projects, specified arsenic the BeltLine, person contributed to fast-rising prices successful the area.

The BeltLine is simply a 22-mile loop of walking and cycling trails built mostly connected abandoned obstruction lines and developed arsenic a public-private partnership.

It was intended to link antithetic neighborhoods successful the metropolis with each different and to create, on the path, walkable communities wherever residents could entree a assortment of services without needing a car.

"We've enactment astir $700 cardinal into the BeltLine to date," said Atlanta BeltLine Inc. CEO Clyde Higgs. "What we've seen is astir an $8 cardinal backstage concern that has followed the BeltLine. That has caused a fig of bully things and besides a fig of pressures wrong the metropolis of Atlanta."

While the portion evolves, a raft of assemblage organizers are launching efforts to sphere lodging affordability.

"It would person been large if we had an accidental to unafraid much onshore earlier successful the beingness of the BeltLine," said Amanda Rhein, enforcement manager of the Atlanta Land Trust, "because spot values proceed to summation successful adjacent proximity to the project."

Watch the video to spot however Atlanta plans to sphere lodging affordability amid accelerated growth.

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