Athens Housing Authority - Affordable Housing for Athens-Clarke County, Georgia

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History and Background



	Broad St. circa 1938

Charted under state law, a public housing authority is a not-for-profit public corporation. A housing authority is an independent organization with a relationship to federal, state, and local governments; however, it is not a part of any governmental body. This organizational structure allows housing authorities to work in conjunction with local governments and agencies to develop long-term housing strategies for communities.

In 1937, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) charged communities with the development of affordable housing in order to "provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing for low-and-moderate income families." Shortly after that, community and business leaders established the Athens Housing Authority to respond to a basic need.

In 1941, Parkview Homes, the first public housing in Athens, was open to families. Since that time, the Athens Housing Authority has overseen the design, construction, maintenance and, administration of eleven additional neighborhoods.

Today



	Parkview Homes, located at Broad and Newton streets, was the first public housing built in Athens, circa 1942

Since its inception, the Athens Housing Authority has worked cooperatively with Athens-Clarke County to create a variety of affordable housing options.

The Athens Housing Authority manages and administers 1,255 dwelling units for approximately 3,300 residents.

Through our ability to initiate tax-exempt revenue bonds, we have aided the renovations and construction of privately owned affordable housing developments in the community. Our ACT I Homes program was designed for families ready to purchase their first house. On a regional level and national level, through the Georgia HAP Administrators Inc., we have won contracts through HUD to conduct management and occupancy reviews for project-based subsidized housing units in Northeast Georgia and the state of Illinois .

For the past decade, the Athens Housing Authority consistently has been awarded the High Performer status by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development based on its review of management, financial and resident initiatives. This designation allows us to increase our capacity to work effectively for our customers.