Atlanta Regional Commission presents draft housing assessment to South Fulton council; finds gap of roughly 11,500 units by 2050

The Atlanta Regional Commission presented a draft housing assessment to the City of South Fulton during the council work session on March 25, outlining current housing stock characteristics, affordability gaps and a set of recommended next steps for local policy and programs.

The assessment, delivered by Kristen Allen, ARC principal planner, found the city has roughly 44,000 housing units and estimates that, based on population forecasts for the ARC region, around 11,500 additional housing units will be needed between now and 2050. ARC also estimated approximately 7,700 additional homes would be needed to provide housing tied to forecasted job growth; staff summarized a current shortfall between household growth and housing-unit growth of roughly 1,400 units.

Why it matters: ARC’s analysis shows a mismatch between rising market‑rate home prices and the incomes of many South Fulton residents. The report shows most new market-rate housing is priced substantially higher than the city’s existing housing stock, driving affordability pressures for long‑time residents and growing cost burden for renters and some owners on fixed incomes.

Key findings and data points from the draft - Affordability and income: ARC’s survey and data show 50% of survey respondents earn under $100,000; the region’s AMI for a family of…