Celebrating 30 Years of the Housing Forum

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to address the 30th anniversary of the Atlanta Regional Housing Forum

Join us December 5 for reflections with Atlanta’s housing pioneers Frank Alexander, Hattie B. Dorsey, Bruce Gunter and Mtamanika Youngblood.  Followed by a look forward with today’s housing leaders and special remarks from Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

For 30 years, housing stakeholders from every sector have come together to engage in thoughtful and productive discussions about affordable housing solutions at the Atlanta Regional Housing Forum. Voices from nonprofit organizations, the philanthropic and faith-based communities, for-profit and nonprofit developers, the financial sector, the academic community, governmental agencies, elected officials and engaged neighborhood leaders have been convened by the Housing Forum, led by its founder, Bill Bolling.

Early convenings of the Housing Forum hosted at the Atlanta Community Food Bank focused on the City of Atlanta and policy/advocacy efforts directly related to affordable housing. In the last 15 years, our Housing Forum conversations and geography have expanded as we have learned about the connectivity between housing and health; transportation and equity; zoning and development; and so much more.

The landscape of the region’s housing movement is dotted with names of local champions like Dorsey, Glover, Youngblood; academia’s Keating, Alexander, Dobbs, Rich, and Immergluck; developers Gunter, Perry, and Khalil; advocates Peed, Hughley, Faust, O’Callaghan and Ware; finance leaders Mynatt and Huckabee; and policy makers Jackson, Franklin, Dickens, Turner, Eaves, and Bottoms. These leaders, and so many others, have shared their voices, expertise, and commitment to affordable housing, leaving a legacy of collaboration in their tracks.

The Atlanta Regional Housing Forum has been the birthplace, proving ground, and safe space for many important discussions – such as the creation of the State Housing Trust Fund, land bank concepts, CRA strategies, and even the creation of organizations like the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership and the Atlanta Fulton Land Bank Authority.

As our communities continue to evolve and grow, so must our efforts. Equity concerns of affordability, preservation, gentrification, retention, livability, walkability, sustainability, transit, transportation, and health all intersect with housing.  We look to the future of today’s and tomorrow’s leaders for guidance and innovation in navigating the ongoing and increasingly complex issues related to affordable housing in metro Atlanta.

At the December 5 Housing Forum, we will pause to reflect on the last 30 years as we speak with a panel of housing pioneers who dedicated the body of their life’s work to affordable housing issues. We will pivot in the second half of the event to discuss the current state of affairs in the housing sector and look towards the future. Join us for this very special Atlanta Regional Housing Forum as we discuss how to carry forward lessons learned.

Details and registration at  www.AtlantaRegionalHousingForum.org.