During a Thursday work session, the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission addressed the issue of affordable housing and the implementation of policies supporting the county’s strategic plan.
County leaders heard a presentation from Director of Housing and Community Development, Melinda Lord, who provided an update on the situation.
“So, we hear the number 8,800, how much affordable housing do we need? Well, we need more than 8,800 but the number comes from the number of the number of rental households that were identified making less than $35,000 who can’t afford their rent on a regular basis.”
Plans to meet that need include down payment assistance programs providing up to $35,000 or more, building affordable rental units, and rehabilitating owner-occupied housing.
The county began addressing plans under the Affordable Housing Investment Strategy in March 2022 with the investment of $11 million in American Rescue Plan Act, or
ARPA, funds.
