As his first term begins, Dickens draws affordable housing roadmap It’s unclear, however, where Dickens intends to find “renewable sources” to channel another $10 million a year toward housing Andre Dickens doesn’t want to be initiatives. “Yeah, we’ve got to find them,” he compared to Keisha Lance Bottoms, but the said, noting that Atlanta’s new tax on shortnew mayor doesn’t have much choice. As Dickens takes over from Bottoms this month, term rental properties could be one source. “I’ve got to work with the city council he’ll be charged with navigating the pandemic, to determine where all the short-term rental fighting crime, and pulling Atlanta out of money is going to an affordable go,” Dickens said. housing crisis “I suppose they – a daunting will be excited checklist that his to hear I want predecessor has to put some of it been chipping toward housing.” away at for years. Dickens While also envisions crime, policing, a new $250 and battling million housing COVID-19 opportunity stole the bond. To service spotlight during the bond debt, he election season, said, “I think we conversations have some TADs on housing that may see their affordability all end of life.” but fell by the Dickens wayside. Dickens Andre Dickens inspects was referring to says he aims affordable housing for police Tax Allocation to change that cadets in English Avenue. Districts, which when he’s sworn are designated in. areas where property tax revenue is used for “I’m just going to do it,” Dickens said local improvements. “Two of them will close in an interview with Atlanta Civic Circle. “I in my term, the Atlantic Station TAD and the don’t care about who did what, so I’m not Princeton Lakes TAD,” he said, referencing going to rate [Bottoms’] performance. We’re districts where TAD benefits will soon expire. going to be aggressive on housing. It won’t be “Eventually, there are some larger TADs a secondary issue—it’s going to be primary.” that we’ll close up,” he said. “Those dollars Although Dickens has promised the city can then be utilized to pay the debt service on will produce and preserve 20,000 affordable this $250 million bond, which will benefit the units over his potentially two terms as mayor whole city, not just those areas.” – a pledge Bottoms also made on the 2017 Boosting intown housing affordability campaign trail – he’s not marrying that also requires changes to how the city can be commitment to a dollar figure. developed – something the city planning Bottoms’ commitment came with a plan department’s ongoing zoning code rewrite to invest $1 billion toward building those aims to accomplish. affordable homes. To date, the city has routed Last month, the city council’s zoning almost $600 million to affordable housing, committee effectively shot down the initial but that financing has only propelled the legislation that would update the zoning code, construction and restoration of about 7,000 a proposal by Councilmember Amir Farokhi units. that would have allowed more dense and “I’m not going off of monetary amounts,” diverse housing development at historically Dickens said. “I’m going off the number of single-family properties. units that we build.” The timing wasn’t right for that legislation, “Dollars are a moving target in an Dickens said. “It came during an election with escalating economy,” he added. “The cost a whole bunch of people on the ballot that led of housing continues to go up, so I’m just to a whole bunch of runoffs in a time where thinking about units and people.” we’re dealing with a lot of other stuff.” Dickens said he’s been talking with local Farokhi’s proposal also wasn’t well received housing leaders over the past few months – by most of the city’s 25 neighborhood including officials at the city’s public housing planning units, because some members saw authority – “about my priorities and how fast allowing additional density as a threat to we need to move.” Urgency is the name of the game, Dickens single-family communities. “It didn’t travel the right way across the said, pointing to his goal of fast-tracking the city,” Dickens said of the legislation. “And I’m development of languishing Atlanta Housing (AH) sites, especially the Atlanta Civic Center. not blaming [City Planning Commissioner] Tim Keane or Farokhi, but I also know that None of these goals can be realized, there was a significant amount of unreadiness though, without financial support. One that didn’t even have to do with the actual element of his funding plan materialized on merit of the paper.” Monday, when the Atlanta City Council Dickens, who lives in a single-family approved the creation of an affordable housing trust fund that, once fully effective, will utilize home, said he wouldn’t be irked if a neighbor decided to build an accessory dwelling unit, a full 2% of the city’s general fund annually – such as a tiny home in the backyard, but about $14 million. Dickens co-sponsored the many residents didn’t fully understand the legislation. By Sean Keenan
At l a n t a I n t o w n Pa p e r. c o m
legislation’s potential benefits. “I just think that [legislation] was ahead of schedule,” he said. “We didn’t have enough time to explain it, so that the public can get a true reaction to it.” But some of Dickens’ affordable housing dreams can only come to fruition with support from other governments. For instance, housing experts have long called for reforming the way commercial properties are appraised and taxed by metro Atlanta counties, which could raise additional tax
revenue for affordable housing. Dickens said he’ll use his bully pulpit as mayor to encourage Fulton County to consider such changes. “I see that as something we really have to dig into, because if commercial properties are undertaxed, that tax comes at the expense of all the city services like public safety, Parks and Rec, even our schools,” he said. “So yes, this is not the newest conversation on the block, but it’s one that’s going to be repeated. It’s going to happen.” Atlanta Intown has partnered with nonprofit news organization Atlanta Civic Circle (atlantaciviccircle.org) to bring our readers more in-depth coverage about the critical issue of affordable housing in the city.
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