Atlanta may be the epicenter of the housing affordability crisis, but it is not alone. Cities all over the United States are struggling with There is a legacy of structural barriers in the marketplace and in our communities. It is seen in residential segregation. It is seen in the dual credit market.
Georgia State University (GSU) Urban Studies Affiliate and Law Professor John Marshall moderated the opening panel, “Barriers to Housing Equity,” as part of the College of Law’s Center for Access to Justice- State of the South Conference. The panel of experts included Lisa Rice (CEO National Fair Housing), James Alexander (President Mercy Housing Southeast) and Dan Immergluck (Urban Studies Institute, Professor). They discussed the challenges faced and the range of policy tools being considered to improve housing equity.
Affordable housing is not enough. Cities must also work towards fair housing and stable housing. Eviction issues are an often overlooked part of the equation.
Urban Studies Professor, Dan Immergluck said his students often suggest cash payments to support housing stability, but he says it is crucial “to recognize housing as the central platform for people’s lives. That housing isn’t like spending money on anything else. It’s where we operate our lives from. It has to be prioritized to make the other things work.”
James Alexander, President of Mercy Housing Southeast shared that often projects focus on numbers of units provided, but “…the strongest community development efforts are those who focus on outcomes for people.”
The civil rights movement and fair housing legislation have not succeeded because they did nothing to dismantle the barriers added Lisa Rice, President and CEO of National Fair Housing Reliance; “We left the bones of inequality in place.”
Funding and public will are particular challenges in Atlanta. The panelists shared some ideas around these issues, agreeing that housing must be a funding priority for cities and states. The state legislature could do more with putting housing on the agenda, legislating for tenants’ rights, and funding. Dan Immergluck, USI Professor, suggested that foundations in Atlanta could also do a better job funding community organizing and related efforts, saying, “We have some great housing advocates, but they’re on a shoestring.”
In reflecting on recent announcements from City Hall around their housing taskforce, Immergluck said, “Pledging a billion dollars is worse than nothing when you start counting money that already exists towards that pledge. Putting out an affordable housing tracker-which is great on a deal by deal basis- and then saying that counts, that existing money counts towards this pledge which was clearly intended to be, implied to be new money, is worse than nothing because it erodes political will. It makes people think something is happening when something isn’t happening.”
Want to hear the whole discussion? Check out the recording here.