Housing
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Jackson County Seniors Advocate for Property Tax Cuts with 3 Items on Nov. 5 Ballot
Some Jackson County senior citizens are pushing for tax relief following a three-year effort by residents out of the Cresswind Community. Three bills on the ballot Nov. 5 could reduce the amount of property taxes seniors would have to pay in coming years. HB 1003, HB 1004 and HB 1461…
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Mayor Girtz Proposes $1 Million for Affordable Housing, Promotes Future Land Use Plan
Athens’ population is expected to increase by about 30,000 residents over the next 20 years, which includes the students expected to enroll in UGA’s forthcoming School of Medicine. The Athens-Clarke County Commission and Mayor Kelly Girtz are working on a Future Land Use Plan that will help determine zoning and…
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Athens Considers Next Steps After Closure of First Step Encampment
First Step, a government-sanctioned homeless encampment that opened in early 2022, will close on Dec. 31 of this year. Athens-Clarke County government is closing the encampment while it looks to find a more permanent solution to homelessness. As a result of the closure, unhoused individuals cannot stay at the encampment…
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Local Neighborhoods Have Growing Concerns Over Quarry Expansion
Homes in South Jackson County are lined with “Stop The Rock Quarry” signs. Residents on Chandler Bridge Road have signs at nearly every house expressing the concern that they have with a quarry proposal. Jackson County resident and Stop The Rock Quarry leader and activist Randy Durham said he finds…
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Northeast Georgia County Representatives Discuss Population Growth
Grady Newsource brought in representatives from the surrounding counties to address the issue of population growth — during a special solutions journalism broadcast on Nov. 15. Recently, Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Jackson, Oconee and Madison counties have all seen an influx in population. The Solutions Journalism Network defines solutions journalism as rigorous reporting…
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New Hope for Athens Homeowner: Local Groups Address Housing Affordability
As you walk past the East Athens street of New Hope Drive, near Hawthorne Avenue, the sounds of construction work can be heard from down the street. The constant buzzing of saws, the rhythmic beating of hammers on wood and the constant loud chatter of people building someone’s future. The…
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Black Business Owners Face Pressures to Vacate Historic Potterytown Neighborhood
On a warm spring evening, Lashanna Mattox paces back and forth on Pottery Street. She stares up at the newest parking deck for The Mark, which towers over the small business she and her husband, Terrell Mattox, own. Mrs. Mattox is the front desk coordinator and co-owner of the Potterytown-based…
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Students Dispersed Around Athens After Numerous Construction Delays at The William
When Alyssa Maresco signed her lease for the new apartment complex, The William, last December, she and her roommates were more than relieved after their previous living situation fell through. Marketing material for The William, located on North Finley Street just blocks from the heart of downtown Athens, billed it…
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The Lead: Sean Keenan on Why Housing Reporting is Essential
Sean Keenan’s work can be found in The New York Times, Atlanta Magazine, The Daily Beast and Vice — just to name a few places. Sean is a freelance reporter and he also covers housing for the Atlanta Civic Circle. He joins this episode to talk about why housing reporting is…
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How to Buy a Home in a Competitive Market
Low supply and high demand have created a national boom in the housing market and as a result, homes have become harder for potential buyers to afford. From February 2021 to this past February, home prices in Georgia increased by 22% while the number of homes available for sale in…