Affordable Housing Summary and Proposed Questions

The City of Atlanta currently has an estimated deficient of 137,191 units of housing.

For units of housing under $600 per month in cost there is a deficient of 81,191, which comprises 59% of the housing deficient. This problem is compounded by the lack of affordable housing units under $600 per month elsewhere in the Metro area, while surplus housing exists for household having higher income. Moreover, inadequate transportation and limited social services in outlaying jurisdictions create additional obstacles to low-income families finding realistic affordable housing in outlaying Metro communities.

Rental Assistance Vouchers, while providing a paper solution, do not necessarily provide a realistic solution to the housing needs of low-income families in the Atlanta Metro area.

Suggested Questions Relating to Proposed Demolition

1. How many permanent affordable housing units are currently under the Atlanta Housing Authority’s jurisdiction, excluding private housing temporarily being utilized under the rental assistance voucher program?

2. What is the percentage of the permanent affordable housing units proposed for demolition or elimination of the total permanent affordable housing units under the Atlanta Housing Authority’s jurisdiction, excluding private housing temporarily being utilized under the rental assistance program?

3. How many privately owned housing units within the City of Atlanta are currently participating in the rental assistance voucher program? Has this amount trended to increase in the last five years or decreased? What percentage of increased or decrease?

4. What percentage of the privately owned housing units participating in the rental assistance voucher program in the City of Atlanta are currently vacant? How many units are vacant?

5. How many rental assistance vouchers are currently in issue by the Atlanta Housing Authority for use in the private market in the City of Atlanta, excluding those that are being proposed for issuance under the plan to demolish or eliminate the housing in question?

6. What term of years is a private housing unit obligated to remain in the rental assistance program upon entering the program?

7. Are the proposed rental assistance vouchers for families residing in the housing targeted for demolition portable outside the City of Atlanta? If so, to what extent are they portable? Within the State… Nation?

8. How many privately owned housing units in the Atlanta Metro area are participating in rental assistance voucher programs?

9. How many rental assistance vouchers are currently in issue for the private market within the Atlanta Metro area, excluding those that are being proposed for issuance under the plan to demolish or eliminate the housing in question?

10. How many portable rental assistance vouchers are currently in issue by the Atlanta Housing Authority?

11. What, if any, legal or contractual obligation is the Atlanta Housing Authority under to replace the loss of affordable housing units within the City of Atlanta resulting from the proposed demolition of the housing units in question?

12. What consideration has been given to the impact on families with children, in terms of potential displacement from schools and the affect on commuting to jobs and familiar support systems. (For example, has a family impact study be undertaken or is one planned?)

13. What type of relocation assistance and counseling will be offered to the families who will be dislocated, and what will the assistance and counseling involve in terms of staffing and resources?

15. Will the relocation of the families be tracked and documented as a means to historically evaluate the relocation and impact on families? Will this information be made public?

16. Are there times limits placed on the families to use the rental assistance vouchers? If so, if they fail to secure housing within the time limits what will happen to their voucher status and their eligibility to participate in the rental assistance voucher program?

17. What, if any, legal or contractual obligation is the Atlanta Housing Authority under to guarantee or successfully facilitate the dislocated families in securing housing in Atlanta? The Metro area? The Nation?

18. Are the rental assistance vouchers to be used in the proposed relocation funded by a special grant or different in any way from the regular rental assistance voucher program?

19. Will CDBG funds been used in underwriting the cost of the proposed demolition?

20. Is there any threat that the rental assistance vouchers assigned to the dislocated families might be terminated in the future because of funding cuts to the relocation program?

21. What is the annual cost of maintaining the rental assistance vouchers for the dislocated families?

22. What is the average life tenancy of a family holding a rental assistance voucher?

23. What is the estimated value of the properties targeted for demolition or elimination in terms of their value for new development? Has a market appraisal been undertaken or planned for? If so, is or will a copy be made available to the public?

24. If the real estate involved in the proposed demolition is going to be sold or transferred to private developers, how will the revenues generated from the sale of the properties be used? (Will the revenues in any part be earmarked for affordable housing development?)

25. Has a study or survey been undertaken on the inventory of the housing units proposed for demolition or elimination that address the quality and status of the units, in terms of the feasibility of their renovation and, or redevelopment for continued use? If so, what are the cost figures?

26. If the vacate land resulting from razing the properties is to be sold for private housing development, will the sale of the land be contingent upon the mandatory inclusion of affordable housing unit set asides within the new developments? If so, how will “affordable” be defined?