Atlanta Housing officials gave the committee a quarterly update on the agency’s strategic plan, recent groundbreakings and the potential impact of a federal government shutdown on local affordable housing projects.

The update

Paul Vronecker, senior vice president for policy, strategy and regulatory affairs at Atlanta Housing, presented highlights: the agency reported it has created or preserved roughly 78% of the units targeted under its five‑year strategic plan; raised more than $65.6 million in non‑HUD funds since the plan began; and expanded services for residents, including youth programs that reached thousands of children.

Vronecker said Atlanta Housing has increased the supply of housing for formerly unhoused families — citing a figure of 2,208 — and noted partnerships that accelerate development timelines. He described the Sylvan Hills 2 project in Council District 12 (a Radiant Development Partners partnership) with an expected construction budget of about $51 million and occupancy projected in January 2027, and Englewood 1B (a Benoit Group partnership), an approximately $86.4 million development with expected occupancy in April 2027.

The agency highlighted a set of projects on former public‑housing sites and co‑investment deals that together represent hundreds of affordable units and hundreds of millions in construction budgets. Vronecker said a recent Sylvan Hills 2 closing and the Civic Center phase R1 close were progress markers for the pipeline.

Federal shutdown risk

Vronecker warned that a federal government shutdown — then in its second week — had furloughed many U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) staff and paused program reviews and reimbursements. He said Atlanta Housing has contingency plans and is continuing rental payments, but that pending approvals and reimbursements could stall until HUD resumes normal operations.

“We want to reassure you that we are continuing to do to make rental payments and that we are still in the business of providing housing regardless of the situation in Washington,” Vronecker told the committee.

Resident services and partnerships

Atlanta Housing described resident‑focused work including partnerships with private firms and nonprofits. The agency highlighted a new pilot with Bird micro‑mobility to provide last‑mile transit options to residents and host resident job fairs tied to the program. The department also described youth entrepreneurship programs, back‑to‑school events and a landlord symposium intended to expand participation in the Housing Choice Voucher program.

Budget and capital details mentioned in the briefing

- Sylvan Hills 2: total construction budget ~ $51,000,000; expected occupancy Jan. 2027.

- Englewood 1B: total construction budget ~ $86,400,000; expected occupancy Apr. 2027; includes 160 affordable units in a mixed‑use development near the BeltLine.

- On selected slides Atlanta Housing showed combined totals for a set of developments: roughly 852 affordable units (1,102 total units) and roughly $438.7 million in total development cost (slide figures for an array of projects).

Committee reaction and next steps

Committee members thanked Atlanta Housing for the report and asked technical follow‑ups about project financing, bond program status and how the agency is layering public and private dollars to move projects forward. Members and staff noted the Housing Opportunity Bond proceeds are substantially committed and that Atlanta Housing is actively deploying remaining proceeds and co‑investment funds.

Why this matters

Atlanta Housing’s project pipeline and its ability to keep projects moving through HUD approvals and reimbursements are central to the city’s stated goal to expand affordable housing supply and support anti‑displacement measures. Any prolonged federal funding disruption could delay scheduled closings or slow reimbursement of development draws, creating risk to timelines and financing stacks for several large projects.

Ending

Atlanta Housing told the committee it will continue to monitor the federal funding situation, maintain rental payments and return to the committee with additional updates on the pipeline and the deployment of co‑investment funds.