Westside Future Fund Announces New Round of Affordable Housing Development to Benefit Legacy Residents on Historic Atlanta Westside
ATLANTA – John Ahmann, President and CEO of the Westside Future Fund (WFF), announced today
that the nonprofit would soon start more affordable housing development activity, thanks to its public-private partnership with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Invest Atlanta, and Atlanta Housing.
WFF will begin the development of approximately 50 vacant single-family lots and 36 multi-family
apartments, primarily in the English Avenue neighborhood, with occupancy targeted for early 2021.
WFF purchased these lots and apartments as part of its “Home on the Westside” community retention
program, and Atlanta Housing approved project-based Homeflex vouchers to enable development.
“Affordable housing is a key component of our Administration’s One Atlanta Housing Affordability Plan
and Economic Mobility Plan,” said Mayor Bottoms. “The work of the Westside Future Fund, in
conjunction with Invest Atlanta and Atlanta Housing, shows what we can do when public and private
partners collaborate on sustainable change. Thank you to the partners and donors for serving as a
powerful catalyst for fueling progress toward economic equity for underserved Atlantans through the
Home on the Westside development.”
In alignment with WFF’s core commitment to community retention and partnership with the Bottoms
Administration, WFF has committed nearly $80 million to date to acquire and develop high quality,
affordable housing. Current WFF holdings include over 250 multi-family units and more than 100 singlefamily lots.
WFF’s multi-million dollar commitment is augmented by an additional $17 million in public funds from
Invest Atlanta and Atlanta Housing. The philanthropic and public dollars ensure affordability for those
earning 60 percent Area Median Income (AMI) and less (2020 AMI for the Atlanta metro area is $82,700 for a family of four). WFF also has an Impact Fund that magnifies the benefit of philanthropic and public
dollars. Impact Fund investors do not profit from their investments in affordable housing on the Historic
Westside.
“The Home on the Westside partnership is another way to help ensure an equitable redevelopment
future in this dynamic Westside community while reinvigorating quality of life for legacy residents,” said
Dr. Eloisa Klementich, President and CEO of Invest Atlanta. “Westside Tax Allocation District funding
enabled Invest Atlanta to purchase vacant, deteriorating properties for redevelopment utilizing longterm, nominal-fee ground leases to preserve deep levels of housing affordability in neighborhoods close to major employment centers. We are proud to be a part of this public-private partnership and remain focused on bringing greater affordability and a mix of housing options to more communities.”
Using a set of community retention guidelines established by its Board of Directors, WFF’s Home on
the Westside initiative prioritizes families with ties to the neighborhoods in WFF’s footprint for highquality, deeply affordable housing opportunities. Through the initiative, a higher priority is given to
current and displaced residents from the English Avenue, Vine City, Atlanta University Center (AUC),
Ashview Heights, Just Us, and Historic Booker T. Washington neighborhoods. Graduates of Booker T.
Washington High School and AUC institutions, and those who work within the footprint, such as Atlanta
Public School teachers and AUC faculty and staff, are also eligible.
“Atlanta Housing is proud to play a role in this unique public-private partnership by providing Homeflex
vouchers for current and planned projects,” said Atlanta Housing CEO Eugene Jones. “The vouchers
provide housing assistance that residents sorely need, but also provide a revenue stream that creates
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new investment opportunities for affordable housing. We are deeply committed to keeping legacy
families on the Historic Westside.”
Approximately 125 Home on the Westside homeowners are also enrolled in WFF’s Anti-Displacement
Tax Fund. Launched in 2017, the program is designed to help ensure that current qualifying
homeowners are not displaced due to rising property taxes.
Terri M. Lee, Mayor Bottoms’ appointee as the city’s first Chief Housing Officer, serves on Westside
Future Fund’s Board as an ex-officio member, along with Dr. Klementich and Mr. Jones.
“All of WFF’s philanthropic fundraising for affordable housing supports Mayor Bottoms’ historic $1
billion commitment. So far, we’ve raised approximately $25 million against an initial, overall goal of $50
million, said Ahmann, who previously served on Mayor Bottoms’ 2018 Transition Committee, chairing
the Housing Subcommittee. “We’re excited to work alongside House ATL as well as other placed-based
and affordable housing organizations that support Mayor Bottoms’ historic affordable housing
commitment.”
Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, Westside Future Fund’s Board Chair and President Emerita of Spelman
College, thanked Mayor Bottoms and Atlanta’s corporate community for their dedication to community
revitalization and improving economic mobility for Westside residents.
“On behalf of the Board of the Westside Future Fund, I thank Mayor Bottoms and our visionary
partners and investors for their collective actions to address longstanding inequities in these historic
African American neighborhoods,” said Tatum. “In recent weeks, so many have asked what they can do
to advance social justice and inclusion. Participating in the Home on the Westside program is a tangible
way to invest on the right side of history and positively impact the city’s legacy for generations to come.”
Establishing stable, mixed-income communities is one of WFF’s core strategies for achieving holistic
and sustainable community transformation. Through this model, WFF also invests in creating high
performing schools, increasing access to affordable healthcare, parks, and greenspace, and ensuring
the safety and security of Historic Westside neighborhoods.
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