CEO Corner: Cost of Home Campaign

I believe that every problem, even those that seem impossible, has a set of solutions if enough committed people come together to address it.

When it comes to affordable housing, I definitely feel that is true. That’s why this summer Atlanta Habitat is joining forces with Habitat for Humanity International and the affiliate network around the nation to launch the organization’s first national advocacy campaign, Cost of Home.

Why? Because in the U.S., one in six households, more than 19 million, pay half or more of their income on a place to live. Households should spend no more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Yet in Georgia, some 1.2 million families are struggling with their cost of home. In Atlanta right now, one in five households spends 50 percent or more for housing. These are our neighbors, co-workers, friends and family.

The Cost of Home campaign is a five-year national call to action that seeks to mobilize partners, volunteers, and community members to find solutions and create policies that will advance access to safe, decent, affordable housing.

As advocates and providers of affordable homeownership, Atlanta Habitat already has taken several steps toward these goals. We are a supporting partner of House Atl, which is charged with a comprehensive and coordinated housing affordability action plan in Atlanta.  And, in the 2019 Georgia Legislative session, Atlanta Habitat joined Habitat Georgia to lobby successfully for the Sales Tax and Use Tax Bill. Recently signed by Governor Kemp, this bill will make it easier to exempt Habitat from some of the property taxes on lots slated for home construction. If Georgia voters approve the bill in the 2020 election, this ultimately translates to more affordable housing in Georgia. Additionally, we shared with Governor Kemp why we support the new Georgia (HB 346) law that protects rental tenants who report unsafe conditions or code violations by landlords to code enforcement agencies.

Atlanta Habitat knows the impact a stable home can have on a family. We are making meaningful strides in addressing Atlanta’s housing crisis with a critical mix of resources, including expanding affordable housing opportunities for working families. However, it requires an infusion of policy and system changes at the local, state and federal levels to make a measurable, lasting impact on families.

When families in our communities are choosing between food and shelter, medicine and necessities, the ability to invest in their children or a place to live, it affects all of us.

We can bring about meaningful change and work collectively to solve this issue. The first step is to get educated about the issue and know how you can impact the problem. I recently participated in a highly engaging conversation during the Atlanta Regional Housing Forum. The panel discussed new ideas and tools to broaden the conversation and focus on the root causes of the issue. Stay tuned; we’re bringing you more opportunities to learn, engage and help us solve for affordable housing.