Atlanta Councilman Hillis Makes Statement on Gentrification Around Westside Park

District 9 Council member Dustin Hillis released the following statement after the adoption on Monday of legislation he introduced to amend the Atlanta Zoning Ordinance to add a new chapter entitled “Westside Park Affordable Workforce Housing District” (Legislative Reference No. 20-O-1729). The ordinance is aimed at mitigating gentrification concerns and helping to ensure affordable workforce housing in the neighborhoods around the Westside Park.

“It’s vital that we have affordable housing on the Westside, especially as we’re facing a housing boom with the development of the Westside Park and the announcement of Microsoft establishing a large corporate campus in Grove Park. This legislation requires affordable housing units to be set aside in the Westside neighborhoods surrounding the park and applies to both for-rent and for-sale units. There are real and growing concerns about affordability for our low- and mid-income residents in the community, and I’m grateful that my colleagues on the Council joined together to adopt this ordinance. As we see property values soar, this is a smart and needed step for our community. I also thank the neighborhoods and NPUs for their involvement and input, as well as the Department of City Planning and former Chief Housing Officer Terri Lee for their expertise in crafting the legislation.”

The Atlanta City Council is the chief policy-making body for the City of Atlanta. It acts by considering and enacting all laws that govern the City. The council also approves the operating and capital budgets for the City as recommended by the mayor, and it continually monitors revenues and expenditures for local government operations. The Atlanta City Council reviews and has final say on many land-use and zoning matters. Major economic development projects for the City also fall under the council’s consideration.

The Atlanta City Council is comprised of 12 districts and three at-large posts. Council representatives include: Council President: Felicia A. Moore; District 1: Carla Smith; District 2: Amir Farokhi; District 3: Antonio Brown; District 4: Cleta Winslow; District 5: Natalyn Mosby Archibong; District 6: Jennifer N. Ide; District 7: Howard Shook; District 8: J.P. Matzigkeit; District 9: Dustin Hillis; District 10: Andrea L. Boone; District 11: Marci Collier Overstreet; District 12: Joyce M. Sheperd; Post 1 At-Large: Michael Julian Bond; Post 2 At-Large: Matt Westmoreland; and Post 3 At-Large: Andre Dickens.

 

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