Atlanta Beltline Celebrates 2024 Housing Achievements

The Atlanta Beltline is making huge strides to create and preserve more affordable homes, support long-time residents, and plan for the city’s future. In 2024, we continued to outperform expectations, delivering 569 affordable housing units hitting 90% more than our annual goal.  

Last year’s progress means we’ve reached 74% of our 2030 target to create or preserve 5,600 affordable housing units in the Beltline Tax Allocation District (TAD), keeping us well on track to meet and exceed that number. 

“For many, the Beltline is synonymous with its 22-mile trail network,” said Clyde Higgs, President & CEO at Atlanta Beltline, Inc. “But as we also transform the landscape of housing equity, we hope to be equally known for the affordable homes and thriving communities we create. As the Beltline goes into its 20th year, we remain dedicated in our commitment to advancing these goals with urgency, ensuring that Atlantans have access to affordable housing along the trail where the potential for economic opportunity is unlimited for all.” 

Our 2024 housing accomplishments were made possible through collaborative partnerships, strategic planning, and funding from a variety of sources.  

The Beltline contributed funds to the development of several affordable housing projects and the acquisition of West End Mall, soon to become an affordable mixed-use community. Beltline-owned land at 579 Garson Drive won competitive tax credits for a mixed-use project in the South Buckhead/Lindbergh area and 350 Chappell Road received the approval it needed to break ground in 2026. 

Click here to learn more about affordable housing projects along the Beltline. 

Land Planning and Preservation for Atlanta’s Future 

The Beltline’s important land acquisition strategy has secured a total of 87 acres of land around the trail to help keep housing and commercial spaces affordable for Atlanta’s residents and small businesses. Pre-development activities are underway for the sites at 356 University Avenue, 425 Chappell Road, Murphy Crossing, and 579 Garson Drive, which is expected to start construction late this year.  

Supporting Long-time Homeowners 

As property values rise, the Beltline has helped 250 Atlantans stay in their neighborhoods. The Legacy Resident Retention Program (LRRP) provides property tax relief to low-income residents who meet certain criteria, allowing them to continue living in the communities they love, build generational wealth, and enjoy financial stability. Based on the appraised property value in the Fulton County tax records, the home values for the 250 program participants have appreciated by a combined $10.8 million, calculated from the time each participant joined the program.

Participants who have been in the program for at least a year have seen their homes increase in value by nearly $50,000 on average. Each resident has also received an average of $2,124 in property tax assistance, earning a return on investment of more than 20:1.

In 2024, the Atlanta Beltline Partnership won the HouseATL Housing Retention Hero Award, recognizing the LRRP and other initiatives. 

“We want residents who lived in these neighborhoods for years before the Beltline was built to benefit from the economic opportunities, healthy living, and cultural vibrancy the Beltline creates,” said Rob Brawner, Executive Director of Atlanta Beltline Partnership.  “This program does that while also enabling those who are typically priced out by gentrification to hold onto a rapidly appreciating asset – their home – and build wealth.”

The LRRP is made possible through the generous support of philanthropic donations, including the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, Georgia Power, Rocket Community Fund, Delta Air Lines, Bank of America, Tull Charitable Foundation, Google, Truist, Kaiser Permanente and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Additional Homeowner Resources Available 

The Beltline also offers workshops that teach residents how to file homestead exemptions, appeal property taxes, manage finances, and buy a home for the first time. Learn more about these donor-funded opportunities here. 

These additional efforts and their outcomes pave the way towards a bright future for Atlanta, where everyone benefits from the impact of the Beltline project.