Housing Affordability: Decatur Preservation Strategies for Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH)
Developing strategies to preserve affordable housing in Decatur
During 2024 and 2025, the Georgia Conservancy is working with the City of Decatur and the Atlanta Regional Commission to help the metro Atlanta community create strategies specifically geared towards stemming the loss of their remaining naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH).
NOAH units tend to be at the lower end of the market because they are in older structures or offer smaller unit sizes and fewer amenities. These units and structures are under serious threat of redevelopment, as they are often prime targets for purchase, demolition, and building of newer, more costly residences that may also result in fewer units overall. For example, if a multi-unit property is replaced with a less dense housing type like single-family homes.
Even in the last five years, Decatur has lost several more-affordable units in their community. However, the city has adopted policies and plans to help not only stop the loss but also encourage the creation of new affordable units.
In working with the Atlanta Regional Commission’s (ARC) Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP), Decatur connected with the Georgia Conservancy for this NOAH study, which will continue into Spring 2025.
From ARC: The study will analyze existing conditions within the city and identify potential strategies to preserve NOAH units in an economically feasible fashion. Using this information, the city plans to work with local organizations, NOAH property owners, and NOAH residents to find collaborative ways of maintaining affordable units amid market pressures and limited room for new development.
The Georgia Conservancy’s Sustainable Growth Program has been a longtime technical assistance partner for the CDAP program. We are thrilled to work with another Metro Atlanta community to enhance housing affordability.
The need to provide quality, varied housing for residents of Georgia’s communities has always been urgent and imperative; in recent years, however, that need has escalated rapidly.
The type and location of housing stock have land use, economic, equity, and social justice ramifications for all Georgians and impacts the quality of our natural resources statewide.
The topic of housing has particular resonance because the availability of housing options is critical to our state’s economic resilience, and many city and county leaders have indicated to us that housing is a top concern, whether they are growing or contracting.
PROJECT PARTNERS
Questions? Reach out to Georgia Conservancy Design Lead Luben Raytchev at lraytchev@gaconservancy.org
