Yesenia Hernandez
Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz holds a news conference with University of Georgia students and professors on April, 19, 2024 in the South Psychology-Journalism Auditorium. Girtz speaks about the future housing and land use plans for Athens. (Photo/Yesenia Hernandez)
Mayor Girtz touched on solutions that will help affordable housing and its shortage. He brought up future recommendations to hone more on the Affordable Housing Investment Strategy by working towards expanding on local affordable housing funds, gap financing for new low-income housing tax credit and down payment assistance.
He mentioned Athens Flats, a multifamily complex that has been in development since last year. The project is estimated to be about 300 units and permanently affordable at about 60% of area median income for families earning under $40,000 a year.
He reminded student journalists that the community has dealt with dramatic population increases before. He brought up examples such as the industrial revolution and Clarke County’s growth, after World War II, with 37,000 residents in 1950 to 75,000 in 1980.
Mayor Girtz says, “We were able to be responsive then, and we believe we’re going to be able to be similarly responsive now.”
With solutions presented, there is still public concern over gentrification and the acceptance of luxury apartments. Many question how they play a part in affordable housing.
Mayor Girtz defended those projects, saying they were built in places that were abandoned or in previous parking lots. The future land use plan prioritizes high density student oriented housing. The mayor said neighborhoods would be relieved from high pressure applied by students looking for housing.
Jeff Humphreys, director of UGA’s Terry College of Business Selig Center for Economic Growth, shares insight at Terry’s Economic Outlook Luncheon about Athens’ economy. Humphreys said UGA’s continued growth adds pressure on Athens’ housing stock, causing it to be very tight with a vacancy rate of just 4%. He said that Athens has a substantially overpriced housing market and will not likely change due to high demand and scant listings of homes for sale.
Rebecca Hines, a second year ecology major, said the gentrification happening in Athens and the acceptance of luxury apartments are setting things backwards for improvement. She says with housing there is more in demand but less supplied. Hines has been searching since November, and currently has no housing secured.
“Some of us just need a place to live, you know? I don’t care about having a pool and a gym, I just need a roof over my head,” she said.
Why I Wrote the Story:
This story was an opportunity for me to attend and cover a news conference. BeinThis story was an opportunity for me to attend and cover a news conference. Being able to hear from Mayor Girtz and the plans he presented to everyone and then writing about it after to share was very new to me. This story made me realize that I wanted readers to gather their own opinion on a huge topic like this. I learned that preparation and researching even further from the given sources is vital to create this story.