Housing
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Athens-Clarke County Looks to Improve Fair Housing Issues with Incoming Mayor
With Kelly Girtz preparing to start his first term as mayor of Athens-Clarke County, the city is planning to make a more dedicated effort to solve fair housing issues. In 2016, a study done by APD Solutions Consulting concluded that the city is not building enough affordable homes for single families.…
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A Changing Town: What Revitalization Looks Like in Athens
As the smallest county in Georgia with the oldest public university, Athens-Clarke County utilizes revitalization to balance the community’s historic value with modern development. Before redevelopment construction can even begin, there are considerations of historic preservation and sustainability. The process of planning is a long one. Rehabilitation is a multifaceted…
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Food Insecurity in Athens Is A Bigger Issue Than Many Realize
The food insecurity rate in Athens-Clarke County was 22 percent in 2016, according to Feeding America’s annual “Map the Meal Gap” project. Clarke County has approximately 26,340 food-insecure individuals, according to Feeding America data from 2016. Approximately 70 percent are below 130 percent poverty, which means individuals in this bracket…
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Jessie B. Denney Tower Residents Bond During Community Meals
Jessie B. Denney Tower, a 10-story, low-rise brick building that sits steps from downtown Athens, is an affordable housing community that houses some of the most in-need Athens residents. The building is designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the elderly and people above age 50 who…
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Athens-Clarke County Experiences Shortage of Affordable Housing for Workforce
More than half of the members of the Athens workforce are unable to afford median rent, according to the Athens-Clarke County Workforce Housing Study. This study was created to support and maintain workforce housing in Athens as well as find and resolve issues with current housing stock. According to the…
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Students Discuss How Finances Impact Housing Decisions
Ashley Ansley also reported on the topic, but with her position as a UGA employee, decided to remove herself from including her own personal experiences. Housing affects everyone, and in a college town like Athens, Ga., the effects of housing impact students especially. Students are forced to make housing choices…
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The Lone Resident: How One Homeowner Has Seen Her Street Change in 53 Years
Sifting through topographical maps and old paperwork, Dora Duncan, 93, points out just how much has changed since she first bought her home in 1965. As someone who has been a resident of Riverdale Drive for the past 53 years, Duncan has experienced zoning fights, studentification and the more recent…
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CollegeTown Properties Expands, Acquiring Apartments Downtown and Adjusting Resident Policies
CollegeTown Properties, a property management company in Athens, acquired Eclipse on Broad and several of the Fred Historic Properties mid-August, just a few weeks into current residents’ leases. The change came with new management staff and some new policies for the apartments and lofts, which were previously owned and operated…
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Athens PBJ: Redefining the Meaning of a Sandwich
What kind of impact can a peanut butter and jelly sandwich make? For someone living in homelessness, it can make quite a difference. Athens PBJ is a local organization that provides sack lunches every Sunday, rain or shine, to those living in homelessness. But it’s a little bit more than…
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Living With Strangers: UGA Students Share Economic, Personal Reasons for Random Roommates
When Sam Clark, a fourth-year sociology major from Cartersville, decided to live off campus her second year as a student at the University of Georgia, roommate options were limited. Her friends made more expensive housing choices than she did. By the time Clark decided to find an apartment, she had…