Our History

HouseATL originated in 2018 as a coalition of the willing – initiated through the convening power and resources of the visionary founders described below. More than 200 civic leaders came together to develop a bold plan with 23 actionable recommendations to increase affordable housing – a call to action to all of Atlanta, but in particular to our civic leadership. This coalition defined the problems, identified the barriers to success, took a data-driven approach, and engaged in thoughtful problem-solving so that civic and business leadership in Atlanta would have a shared, comprehensive set of policies and adequate funding to address housing affordability.

In 2019, HouseATL organized itself into working groups to advance some of those 23 recommendations. HouseATL had barely begun implementation when the pandemic hit, but the network that was built positioned HouseATL to respond. During the pandemic, HouseATL’s working groups pivoted to address the changing housing needs of Atlantans. Participants maintained trust and goodwill under stress as people tried to figure out new mechanisms to scale rental assistance, protect vulnerable residents and recommend effective uses of new federal funds.

In late 2021, HouseATL’s leadership moved to formalize HouseATL as an ongoing entity. HouseATL became fiscally sponsored by the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta with a memorandum of understanding that outlines governance responsibilities for a HouseATL Advisory Board. The Advisory Board hired its first staff in 2022, established a membership structure and created consistent roles for Working Group Co-Chairs.