Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Beltline surpasses affordable housing goals, eyes 7,500-unit milestone
Atlanta Beltline ahead of goal to build, preserve housing
The Atlanta Beltline project says it’s way ahead of its goal to build or preserve more than 5,000 affordable housing units by the year 2030. And could potentially add another 2,000 units. But with how badly the Atlanta metro needs affordable housing, experts say more needs to be done.
ATLANTA – The Atlanta Beltline Initiative says it’s way ahead of its goal to build or preserve more than 5,000 affordable housing units by the year 2030.
The extreme need for affordable housing in the Atlanta metro area means much more needs to be done.
“This is Madison Reynoldstown. This particular development has just opened its doors. We expect to move in 30 residents before Thanksgiving. We’re very excited about this development,” said Dennis Richards, vice president of housing and development for Atlanta Beltline.
He showed FOX 5 one of their newest affordable housing developments, built right next to the Beltline trail in East Atlanta off of Memorial Drive.
“Back in 2008, during the recession, this was a failed condo project. So, Atlanta Beltline was able to purchase this property. We were able to renovate these units and sell them with first time homebuyer incentives,” Richards said.
The Beltline has a mandate to create or preserve 5,600 affordable housing units along its trail by the year 2030.
Richards says they will be at 70% of that goal by the end of this year.
“This year we had a goal of about 300 units. It’s looking like by the end of this year, we’ll be at about 550 units…and next year, we’ve got another strong pipeline of about 500 units,” Richards said.
If they keep going at this rate, Richards says they’re predicting they’ll blow that original goal out of the water.
“I would venture to say north of 7,000, close to 7,500 units, perhaps more,” Richards said.
However, the city needs every unit it can get.
According to the Atlanta Beltline, in 2022, Atlanta had a 22,000-unit deficit in its affordable housing supply.
Between 2017 and 2022, the city of Atlanta saw a decrease of 7,000 units of affordable rentals.
Add to that the fact that the city is expected to continue to grow by leaps and bounds in the coming years.
“The Atlanta Regional Commission projects two million people will come into the Atlanta metro by 2050. So that is about the equivalent of adding the city of Denver to the Atlanta metro,” Richards said.
James Marlow, president of the non-profit Southface Institute, says the metro desperately needs more variety in housing as well.
“Nobody builds starter houses anymore…but we need multifamily, we need more townhouses, we need additional dwelling units, we need duplexes…we need every type of housing innovation,” Marlow said.
On Friday morning, Marlow held an affordable housing roundtable.
And with that stark reality in mind, Richards says the Beltline isn’t going to stop and rest on its laurels and will continue with the strategies that have gotten them to this good position.
“One being our strategic land acquisition strategy, where we’ve acquired around 90 acres of property, where we think we can develop at least 3,000 units across that portfolio,” Richards said. “We also have capital available to developers so that we can put money in those deals to ensure that we get some set aside for affordable housing units.”
ATLANTA, GA — Two people are dead following a fiery crash on Interstate 75 in Atlanta, according to police.
The crash occurred shortly before 3:15 a.m. Saturday on southbound I-75 near Cleveland Avenue Southwest. According to police, a Kia Sportage was traveling on I-75 when the driver lost control of the vehicle while attempting to exit at Cleveland Avenue.
Police said the vehicle left the roadway, hit a pole and subsequently caught fire.
Two unidentified occupants of the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators with the Atlanta Police Department Accident Investigations Unit responded to the scene to determine what led to the crash. The investigation into the collision is ongoing.
An Atlanta chef allegedly shot two teenagers who were suspected of trying to steal packages outside his home in broad daylight.
Rakim Bradford was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony after he opened fire on the boys, ages 15 and 16, at his townhouse in the Mays neighborhood, southwest of Downtown Atlanta, on Thursday around 3:40 p.m.
Bradford, the head chef at an area IHOP, according to his LinkedIn, was at his home on the 700 block of Celeste Lane SW when he noticed the teens near his front porch, Atlanta Police said.
Officials believe the teens had traveled to the Villages of Cascade complex, where they spotted a delivery van and followed it, according to Atlanta News First, citing Bradford’s arrest warrant.
“After the packages were dropped, they agreed to steal that package from the front of the residence,” the warrant stated.
Bradford caught the teens going for the packages and allegedly shot the pair before they could steal the delivery.
“We believe a property crime was occurring, that some packages were being taken off a front porch, which is common this time of year,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters. “The homeowner did discharge his weapon to stop that theft of packages.”
The unidentified 15-year-old was found with a gunshot wound to the right foot. Officers later found the 16-year-old suffering from a gunshot to the right arm.
He was transported to the hospital in critical condition before undergoing surgery. The teen is expected to survive.
“The Atlanta Police Department takes gun violence very seriously,” Schierbaum said. “Anytime a child is injured in our city, we really take that really seriously. We want to make sure they know what’s happening.”
Bradford was detained after the shooting and brought in for questioning.
Officials ruled out a home invasion and didn’t announce any charges against the two teens.
Neighbors warned potential porch pirates of stealing packages from other homes.
“Don’t go and steal people’s packages,” Andrew Julian told the outlet. “On the other side of that, what right do you have to defend your own home, and then what decision do you make to defend your own home based on somebody taking an item off of your porch? So, it’s certainly a conversation to be had.”
Clint Dempsey on measure of success for the US in upcoming World Cup
USMNT legend Clint Demspey breaks down what he considers to be the measure of success for the team as they prepare to host the upcoming World Cup.
Sports Seriously
Are you trying to find a short-term rental in Atlanta for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on match day?
The players on the field won’t be the only ones facing fierce competition.
In the days since the announcement of the group stage match-ups last week, demand for short term rentals in Atlanta has skyrocketed, reaching nearly a 5000% increase in some neighborhoods.
In a report published by AirDNA — a vacation rental analysis group that uses data from companies like Aibnb, VRBO and rental partners — researchers compared searches for short-term rentals in Atlanta in June and July 2025 to searches for the coming year during the same time period.
Here is what they found.
These Atlanta neighborhoods have highest demand
AirDNA found that in the city of Atlanta, the year-over-year change in demand for short term rentals for the dates of the group stage games increased 286% overall, as of Dec. 10.
For the round of 32 date, demand went up 351% from 2025 to 2026. During the round of 16, the demand was up 284%. The semi-final match led to an increase in demand of 213%.
For specific neighborhoods, the year-over-year increase in nightly demand for rentals was astronomical.
Here are the top 10:
- Chosewood Park — 4450%
- Buckhead — 2400%
- Atlanta University Center/ Vine City — 1911%
- Cabbagetown — 1833%
- Edgewood — 1638%
- Ben Hill — 1200%
- Bankhead — 1141%
- Grant Park — 1044%
- Downtown Atlanta — 1034%
- North Druid Hills — 900%
More than 30 other neighborhoods and cities in the greater Atlanta metro area saw increases in nightly demand by more than 200%.
Only six areas — Doraville, Brookhaven/North Buckhead, Douglasville, Powder Springs, Vinnings and Chamblee — saw a decrease in nightly demand for match days compared to 2025.
Rentals for night before also in high demand
When AirDNA compared demand for the night before a match versus the night after, the demand was similar if not higher in some cases.
The demand for rentals on June 14, the day before the first group stage match, is the same for demand on June 15 when the match is actually played, the data shows.
On June 20, however, demand for a rental in Atlanta overall is higher than on June 21, the day of the third group stage match.
Overall demand in Atlanta stays high once the World Cup begins, with some slower breaks in between the later tournament matches.
Can I still get World Cup tickets for Atlanta matches?
The Random Selection Draw period is on now for specific match tickets. Spectators hoping to see a specific match can request to enter the drawing through the FIFA ticketing website.
Tickets are also available for some of the more elaborate World Cup experiences, as well as through packages from Qatar Airlines. Tickets will open for resale on Dec. 15.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
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