Housing Strike Force

Launched in early 2022, Atlanta’s Housing Strike Force is led by the mayor and consists of 13 members, including the senior executives of all local public entities that impact the housing ecosystem. Some members have direct responsibility for preserving or expanding housing supply, including the leadership of the public housing authority and the planning department. Some have indirect impacts on the housing system, including the leadership of the school system and the transit authority. A list of members can be found in the Appendix. The full Strike Force meets quarterly to review progress toward the 20,000-unit goal, discuss upcoming projects that will require deeper coordination, and address challenges agencies are facing. Additionally, staff participate in biweekly project pipeline meetings, working together to assess and advance new projects, as well as monthly strike force check-in meetings. The Strike Force’s true value stems from day-to-day collaboration between agencies that now work together to troubleshoot and move projects forward. The strike force has cultivated a collaborative environment where the relevant agencies work hand in hand, often on calls or meetings multiple times a day, problem solving and coordinating resources to move projects forward. Just three years into the mayor’s eight-year affordable housing goal, Atlanta has delivered or begun construction on over 11,000 of the 20,000 targeted units.

In addition to the Housing Strike Force, the Mayor’s Office established a new housing team reporting directly to the mayor. While the city’s Housing Department is focused on existing programs and policies, this new team is focused entirely on the 20,000-unit goal, and operates across agencies, designs new initiatives, and leads implementation. Its members include urban planners, architects, and policy experts, all empowered to move quickly and test new approaches. Together, the Strike Force and central housing team form the organizational backbone of Atlanta’s crisis response, this new team is focused on this goal.

The Housing Strike Force places a high premium on goal setting and continuous measurement. The housing team built an interactive tracker, publicly available and sourced from every agency delivering affordable housing. Each strike force meeting starts with a status of the path to 20,000 units.