Commission defers proposal and $122,000 for DeKalb County land trust; housing director to brief commissioners at Sept. 29 session

DeKalb County commissioners on Sept. 23 deferred for further committee review a district-sponsored resolution that would commit up to $122,000 for technical assistance to design and stand up a community land trust (CLT).

The item was the subject of extended debate among commissioners, who broadly supported the policy objective — preserving long-term affordability — but differed on sequencing and implementation detail. Supporters described a CLT as a vehicle to keep housing permanently affordable by separating ownership of land from ownership of housing structures; they urged the county to secure expert assistance to design an effective, legally robust entity. The board had previously agreed to put the funding request on a midyear budget list but postponed final action pending additional discussion.

Several commissioners argued the county’s new housing director should appear before the board and participate in designing the trust. County staff and the speaker list confirmed that the housing director, Dr. Ferguson, would attend a special-called Planning/Economic/Community Services (PECS) session on Sept. 29; commissioners deferred final action to allow that briefing and to permit law-department input on the legal structure.

What the resolution would do: The draft resolution authorizes an appropriation of $122,000 for a multi-phase feasibility and design process, including…