by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
January 31, 2024
A new home buying program in Atlanta aims to help service workers and those who cannot typically receive down payment assistance.
Atlanta is helping everyday residents become homeowners through the launch of a new program specifically for service workers. People who are employed in roles such as first responders and teachers are eligible to become part of the neighborhood.
The initiative was enacted by the City of Atlanta in partnership with Invest Atlanta and the city’s housing authority. This mission is to assist those in the “missing middle” who can’t afford a mortgage but don’t typically qualify for down payment assistance. According to WSB-TV, those who apply will be entered into the lottery to be part of Brown’s Mill Village.
“We are building homes for teachers and firefighters, and anyone making under $83,000 will be entered into our lottery for our final phase,” explained Maja Sly, Affordable Housing Advocate and Broker with Keller Williams Atlanta. “They can now have a mortgage and live in the City of Atlanta.”
Sly assures that the program will be dedicated to those who meet the requirements, but those outside of the targeted professions will also be able to apply if they meet the salary criteria as well and have a 620 credit score. While service workers who are accepted into the program will receive $45,000 in down payment assistance, others who are outside these fields will still receive $40,000 to go toward their affordable homes.
The lottery will select its first cohort of 19 new homeowners in February. However, none who want to utilize this community for other plans should pursue the opportunity, as Sly wants to keep this unique neighborhood investor-free.
“The program is through the City of Atlanta, and our mayor has a commitment to affordable housing. We do not accept investors,” Sly said. “We have a commitment to home ownership. This neighborhood is 100% owner-occupied, and I want to keep it that way.”
The opportunity comes amid high interest rates stunting the housing market, making the ability to obtain a mortgage now impossible for many middle and working-class Americans. According to CNN, the rate of Black homeowners in 2021 was only 44%, lagging in comparison to their white counterparts at 72.7%. However, this new program aims to secure diverse first-time homeownership, and encourages all that can to apply.
