The City of Atlanta Partners with YWCA of Greater Atlanta To Expand Affordable Housing

Atlanta, GA, October 9, 2023 – Mayor Andre Dickens announced the City of Atlanta has officially closed on a real estate transaction with the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Greater Atlanta for an 11-acre property on Barge Road, located near the terminating station of the proposed Campbellton Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. Metro Atlanta Land Bank, as a member of the Affordable Housing Strike Force, closed the transaction on behalf of the City. As the City of Atlanta’s economic development agency, Invest Atlanta funded the $1.48M acquisition through their Housing Opportunity Bond Fund. “This acquisition will create dedicated affordable housing units, locking in affordability on a corridor which will undergo a major transformation in transportation and economic development under this administration,” said Mayor Dickens. “We made the decision to sell the property in hopes of having it benefit the community,” said YWCA of Greater Atlanta President & CEO Danita V. Knight. “Our team assessed potential partners to sell the property to, and the City rose to the top of the list because of its commitment to affordable housing throughout Atlanta. That commitment aligns with our mission of eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all people.” This investment in mixed-income, transit-oriented development along Campbellton Road represents the latest in a series of proposed public investments in the corridor, including a new $300 million BRT line and adjacent multi use path.“This investment leverages the transactional expertise of the Metro Atlanta Land Bank, demonstrating our effective partnership and turnkey role with the City of Atlanta. MALB is excited to build on this momentum by utilizing the $6 million line of credit, funded from the Housing Opportunity Bond, to acquire and develop additional affordable multi-family and single-family housing”, said MALB Executive Director Christopher Norman.The YWCA of Greater Atlanta will direct proceeds from the sale to its programming and initiatives, including restoration of the Phillis Wheatley Westside YWCA at the intersection of Mitchell Street, Tatnall Street and Martin Luther King Drive. The Phillis Wheatley Westside YWCA is scheduled to open in 2025, and will house an early learning academy, technology training lab, flexible classroom and meeting rooms, and activity areas focused on the needs of women and their families on the Westside of Atlanta. Media Contact:Zenya Udwadiamarketing@ywcaatlanta.org