Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz released the 2026 State of the Community Address on Monday night.
In the twenty-minute address, Mayor Girtz emphasized the county’s expected population growth in the coming decades. Girtz said that this influx of new residents will increase the need for housing stock, as well as affordable housing.
"There’s an array of local work underway to pursue that. Over the next two years, Athens will see more than 600 new affordable units," he said. "The Athens Housing Authority is also partnering in three new developments that utilize the combination of federal and state low-income housing tax credits."
Girtz said that county planning efforts will lead to denser development in commercial corridors. He also touted the county’s high school graduation rate, which has increased from 50% to 80% since 2000.
Mayor Girtz’s second and final term will end this year. His successor will be decided in May.
