Introduction

CHAPTER 1 Introduction

Purpose of Assessment

Process of Development

The City of Douglasville engaged the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) to provide technical assistance to provide an in-depth understanding of housing conditions and challenges in Douglasville and recommend strategies to help address those issues.

The project is being undertaken through ARC’s Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP). CDAP provides technical assistance to local governments and non-profits across the 10-county metropolitan region to undertake local planning activities that advance the goals of the Atlanta Region’s Plan. The report is done in partnership with Georgia Conservancy.

It was important for the information presented in this report to be guided by the citizens of Douglasville and specifically consider Douglasville context in the region when doing so. In order to accomplish this, the process began by analyzing past plans and interviewing a variety of stakeholders to assess the perception of housing opportunities and challenges in the City of Douglasville. The information provided informed the project team about issues and information that needed to be addressed in the data analysis and community conversations and is presented as a summary in the appendix.

A summary of existing housing related data analysis was gathered to develop a comprehensive view of the City of Douglasville housing market. The data analysis included demographic, economic, and housing data for the City of Douglasville as well as comparative analysis with the County, sub-region, and 10-county Atlanta region. As an appendix item, data is presented in three primary areas:

1.Community Profile – Provides a brief overview of essential demographic and economic data that serves as the foundation to understanding

Douglasville’s housing market. This report is the final deliverable for the project. It provides a summary of data analysis, stakeholder engagement, and recommendations that have been presented to City staff for review and approval, as well as Mayor and City Council. The work for the project is structured to accomplish three major goals:

1.Education: Housing data analysis to inform discussions

2.Discussion: Engage various stakeholders to educate and discuss housing issues and identify housing goals 3.Recommendations: Provide policies and programs to address housing needs

2.Housing Profile – Examines Douglasville’s housing conditions by looking at data relating to available housing stock and cost. 3.Housing Demand Forecast- The analysis estimates annual demand for new housing over the next five years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all stakeholder engagement was done virtually. Stakeholders were engaged through a number of meetings, including, Advisory Committee meetings, public website, public open house, and City Council retreat. To assist with generating and gathering input on this study, a public website was created using leading community engagement software for government agencies, public input, @ https://publicinput.com/douglasvillehousing.

The information collected throughout the process was the foundation of the recommended policy and program seen in this report. The recommendations were presented to the Advisory Committee and City Council for input before being finalized. The recommendations provided need further consideration and prioritization by local government and stakeholders to develop an action plan and implementation steps.