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Athens-Clarke County launches local housing fund and moves to reactivate land bank authority to speed affordable housing
Summary
Director Melinda Lord updated the commission on the county's Affordable Housing Investment Strategy, use of ARPA and other funds, and a new contract to stand up a local housing fund; the county also plans to reactivate a land bank and to consider a loan to support a senior LIHTC project.
Melinda Lord, director of Housing and Community Development for Athens-Clarke County, briefed the mayor and commission on Aug. 12 about progress on the county's Affordable Housing Investment Strategy. Lord said the county has allocated federal ARPA funds and other local resources to seed a local affordable-housing fund and is contracting an outside entity to operate that fund.
The strategy grew from a 2023 plan that estimated an approximate local shortage of 8,800 rental units affordable to households earning below about $35,000 a year. The plan recommended a mix of tools: a local housing fund, targeted use of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), acquisition and preservation of naturally occurring affordable housing, down-payment assistance and rehabilitating existing housing.
Lord told the commission that the county has contracted a consultant to stand up a local housing fund and will begin stakeholder education and fund setup immediately. The county has roughly $6.44 million identified to seed the fund, including previously allocated ARPA dollars for gap financing for LIHTC projects ($2.4 million), $2.0 million for single-family affordable housing activities and a $1.0 million acquisition fund; an additional $1.0 million was proposed in the fiscal 2026 operating budget.
The county also plans to reactivate the Land Bank Authority. That entity can acquire vacant or tax-delinquent property and move it into productive use for affordable housing. Lord said the mayor and commission voted to reimplement the Land Bank Authority on June 3; the next step is appointing a five-member board and an executive director, and the authority will submit a work plan and budget for commission approval.
Lord described near-term project activity: North Downtown Athens ("NOTA") phase 1 has public/private financing and infrastructure work underway; several LIHTC applications are pending for other projects (Classic City Heights, Lexington Flats, Athens Flats). Lord said staff would present a proposed $1 million loan from the yet-to-be-established local housing fund to the Athens Housing Authority to help secure Classic City Heights' 9% LIHTC application; the loan would be repaid to the fund and is intended to make the LIHTC application more competitive.
Lord and commissioners discussed homeowner rehabilitation grants, down-payment assistance and how federal HOME and CDBG funds can be layered with local ARPA funds to make single-family homeownership and rehab feasible. She also described pilot programs and partner activity: Athens Land Trust, Habitat for Humanity, East Athens Development Corporation and others have projects under way using combinations of ARPA, HOME, CDBG and local funds.
Commissioners asked for clearer public-facing project lists and dashboards showing houses completed, houses in construction and funds committed. Lord said the county posts a public "home map" of HOME-funded projects and plans to expand public reporting as the housing fund is stood up.
Next steps: the consultant will begin phase-one stakeholder education and fund setup; the commission must appoint the Land Bank board and approve the land bank's work plan and budget; staff will present the proposed $1 million loan to support Classic City Heights and continue coordinating LIHTC and other project support.
