Georgia STAND-UP Atlanta Metropolitan Area Campaign

The Atlanta Regional Campaign is a community-led infrastructure campaign to challenge the extractive economy and its disproportionate impact on low wealth communities and communities of color. Bloomberg says that Atlanta is the second most unequal city in the US. Middle-income jobs have all but disappeared over the years sending residents to either the low end or the high end of the spectrum. Metro Atlanta's wealth gap means our highest earning residents, the top 5 percent, make 20 times more than our bottom 5 percent. Income disparities remain directly tied to race and effect access to transportation, affordable housing, and jobs.

Our campaign will address three issues: (1) transportation infrastructure, (2) affordable housing, and (3) access to jobs.

Success will be achieved through active participation in policy implementation, educating affected communities, monitoring new policies and funding streams. In addition, success will be achieved by activating vulnerable communities to take advantage of new policies, ensuring that these policies don’t burden their ability to have access to transit, affordable housing, and jobs.

1. Transportation

It has been stated that General Sherman may have burned mid-19th century Atlanta, but in the mid- 20th century policy in Atlanta took that reconstructed city and dissected and destroyed its center with interstate highways — until what remained of neighborhoods ended up being separated like little islands, all of them fairly dependent on cars for transportation. And after having been uprooted from those “gouged” neighborhoods, many black residents suddenly lost their centrally located homes near jobs centers. Transportation policy in Atlanta has had a history of destroying neighborhoods and cutting off access to jobs. So, in 1971, residents of Atlanta, DeKalb, and Fulton counties voted to support the creation of MARTA. Funded by a 1-cent sales tax, the new agency was supposed to operate buses and lead the construction of a rail network with support from the federal government. However, the referendum was thwarted by scare tactics from racist suburbanites, and was not expanded to Clayton, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties. While the transit system slowly expanded until 2000, and suburban Clayton, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties added bus service, a truly integrated regional transit system never materialized. Today, a system designed for the scale of the populated parts of the Atlanta region in 1970 has been supplanted by suburban growth. The now-48-mile heavy rail system attracts more than 200,000 people a day, ridership that is comparable to other southern cities. But only 8 percent of the population in the Atlanta region’s core counties lives within a mile of a rail station, down from 22 percent in 1970.

The Atlanta Metropolitan region is experiencing monumental pressure on its transportation infrastructure and the demand for transit choices. The inequity in access to transit is directly attributable to wealth and racial demographics. The region’s northern areas have tended to gain jobs and affluence and remained mostly white, while the region’s southern areas have been largely bypassed by economic opportunities and have become mostly Black. Gentrification and displacement, combined with decreasing affordable housing stocks are pushing people of color and low-income residents out of the City of Atlanta into the suburbs. These disparities directly affect the daily commute. With commuters, facing long, cross-regional commutes and crippling congestion. Transportation has repeatedly topped the list of the “biggest problems”. Todays’ transportation system is not functioning well for the 10-county region’s four million residents.

There are several referendums that have been designed to infuse money into improving transportation infrastructure. It is important to note that these referenda have been passed now that whites are moving into the City of Atlanta. Effectually, whites will be the beneficiaries of these improvements because the very neighborhoods where disinvestment presently resides are the neighborhoods to which they are relocating. Aggressive policies need to be created to ensure that legacy homeowners and renters can remain in place.

In March 2016, more than eight in ten Atlanta voters approved two referenda authorizing the City to borrow up to $250 million in bonds to tackle the city’s infrastructure backlog without raising property taxes. The Renew Atlanta program focuses on repairs and upgrades to streets and sidewalks, citywide traffic signal optimization and construction of more than 30 miles of complete streets. The second major component of the Renew Atlanta program involves upgrades and urgent repairs to public facilities and the construction of the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Aquatic and Recreational Facility in the Historic Old Fourth Ward. The Renew Atlanta program is complementary to the City’s T-SPLOST, they have different focuses.

1. TSPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for Transportation) referendum: This four-tenths of a penny sales tax will generate approximately $300 million over a five-year period to fund significant and expansive transportation projects citywide.

2. MARTA (the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) passed a half-penny sales tax for transit expansion and enhancements in the City of Atlanta. Over a period of forty years, this half-penny sales tax will generate an estimated $2.5 billion, allowing MARTA to make major investments in transit infrastructure, including introducing high- capacity rail improvements, building new infill rail stations within the City, purchasing new buses, adding more frequent service, and introducing new bus routes.

a. The approval of these two referenda will implement high priority projects from the Connect Atlanta Plan, the City’s comprehensive transportation plan, and Concept 3, the Atlanta region’s transit plan, and more than a dozen neighborhood and community plans that have been adopted in the last six years, and features projects in nearly all of the city’s commercial districts, including:

• $66 million for the Atlanta BeltLine, which will allow the BeltLine to purchase all the remaining right of way to close the 22-mile loop. • $75 million for 15 complete streets projects; • $3 million for Phase 2 of the Atlanta Bike Share program; and • $40 million for traffic signal optimization. • In addition, these projects include high priority sidewalk and bikeway projects connecting our neighborhoods to 80 Atlanta Public Schools and all of the Atlanta rail stations.

2 o Ninety-four percent of all Atlanta residents and 98% of the city’s jobs will be within a half-mile of a proposed TSPLOST, MARTA, or Renew Atlanta transportation or infrastructure project.

2. Affordable Housing

Locally enacted federal housing policies have created the current landscape of housing inequality. These housing policies were discriminatory and contributed to the growth of sprawl. The Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC) and Federal Housing Administration (FHA) created “redlining” which prevented federal support from reaching Black neighborhoods during the Depression, and became so ingrained in the housing finance industry that it affects lending decisions to present day. Some historians have called the federal government subsidy of white homeownership a “$120 billion head start” for white families, which created substantial wealth through homeownership that could be passed on to subsequent generations. Since Black families couldn’t get loans and had to secure housing through leases and land contracts, they didn’t share in wealth building.

In the late 1950s, Atlanta embarked on its first attempt at “urban renewal”, which for many people at the time translated to “Negro removal”. Hundreds of homes were demolished by the city, and thousands of Black families in three neighborhoods (Turner Field—Summerhill, Peoplestown and Mechanicsville) were separated from each other when three interstates were constructed through the heart of their communities. The problem worsened in the mid-1960s when the city decided to build a new stadium to house a professional baseball team. A significant portion of the Summerhill neighborhood was wiped away. Whatever sense of community and connection had survived was reduced even further as businesses left and schools closed. Decades later, in preparation for the 1996 Olympics, an estimated 30,000 low-income Atlanta residents were displaced from their homes in order to make room for the new Olympic Stadium. Landlords in the area sought to raise rents to take advantage of the proximity to the Olympic venues.

Present day economic and housing growth is threatening to have history repeat itself. The Atlanta BeltLine (BeltLine) is triggering sharp increases in home values in low-income and largely African- American communities in the southwest segment. Neighborhoods such as Adair Park, Pittsburgh, Mechanicsville, and Westview have seen median sale prices jump 68 percent from 2011 to 2015. Without policies that protect vulnerable renters and homeowners from rapid rent and property tax increases, gentrification comes at their expense. It also means that the benefits of gentrification will flow mostly to more affluent households moving in.

In order to address the inequity, on November 20, 2017, the City of Atlanta passed an ordinance to revise the zoning laws that cover the BeltLine’s path and surrounding area. The legislation requires that developers building new residential rental units (project must be more that 10 units) near the BeltLine set aside 10 percent of those units for households at 60 percent Area Median Income (AMI) or below or 15 percent of those units for households at 80 percent AMI or below for affordable housing for the next 20 years. In return, developers receive incentives such as reduced property taxes and reduced parking requirements. This legislation will allow for the city employees, teachers, police, nurses, retail workers, firefighters, for example to live around the Beltline and Westside where they can benefit from the public investment the city has made in those areas.

3 Critics of the City’s new zoning law raise concerns over the income brackets included in the ordinance which are federally set based on HUD estimates of the Atlanta Metro areas AMI, which is $69,700. For many people in these communities that income threshold just does not apply. Another gap in the zoning law is that it doesn't’ address the rising property taxes for existing homeowners, or owners of rental properties who raise their rent to push renters out and then sell to developers. Also, it is opined that twenty years is not long enough for the rental units to be protected against market rates, the protection should be permanent, like in New York City. Another concern is that homeowners are being harassed by unsolicited letters and phone calls from interested buyers whose aim is to flip their house and sell it to middle- and upper-income new buyers. These speculators apply predatory techniques, often using abrasive tones and speaking disrespectfully to seniors. Several working-class neighborhoods, such as, Peoplestown, Cabbagetown, Old Fourth Ward, Vine City, English Ave., etc., are being affected by these tactics. Finally, the culture clash between new White neighbors and legacy residents is creating a tension that results in legacy residents not feeling empowered to advocate for themselves. These critiques are by no means exhaustive, but only serve as an issue list to address.

The suggestion from the Annie E. Casey Foundation: It is necessary to increase investments in low- income communities to support their economic growth by developing and preserving affordable housing; prompting equitable development practices that benefit diverse racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups; and bolstering small businesses and enterprises in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.

3. Access to Jobs

There is a direct correlation between transit and access to jobs in Atlanta. Blacks are three times more likely to get to jobs using public transit. Investment in transit can help close the racial employment gap through job creation. While black workers are under-represented in construction compared to white and Latino workers, most jobs that result from infrastructure investment are in other occupations. Infrastructure spending focused on transit yields the mix of jobs most favorable to black and Latino workers.

Although the city is considered an economic powerhouse, its wealth and promise don’t extend to many of its residents, particularly those of color, who struggle to earn a living wage. The unemployment rate for African Americans in Atlanta (22 percent) is nearly twice the city’s overall 13 percent, more than three times higher than the rate for their white counterparts (6 percent) and more than twice the rate for Latinos (9 percent). White residents earn more than three times as much as their black counterparts, twice as much as Latinos and about $30,000 more than Asians in the city. The concentration of jobs and job growth in the northern metro area frequently puts employment opportunities out of reach for mostly black residents living on Atlanta’s southside, many of whom don’t own a vehicle.

Suggestion from the Annie E. Casey Foundation: Pursue strategies to improve employment opportunities for local residents by aligning job-training programs with employers’ needs in high-growth sectors such as information technology and health care; adopting ban-the-box policies in the private sector so that criminal records aren’t an automatic barrier to employment; and expand public transit systems in the northern metro area, where well-paying jobs are concentrated.

4 ○ Quantitative and Qualitative Measurable Goals:

1. Aerotropolis has a Workforce Development Collective which is a coalition of industry, community, education and training stakeholders committed to developing workforce solutions for employers in the Aerotropolis region. Georgia Standup will assist in determining what training is needed for community members to apply for the available construction and hospitality jobs. We will track the number of community members who are able to obtain jobs.

2. Carter USA, development company, has a Community Benefits Agreement with the Turner Field community which includes access to jobs. Georgia Standup will assist in determining what training is needed for community members to apply for available construction jobs. We will track the number of community members who are able to obtain jobs.

3. MARTA is planning improvements to existing rail stations, several new “infill” stations, two transit centers and improvements which benefit pedestrians. Georgia Standup will track the number of stations built that will benefit communities that need transit the most.

4. Number of jobs created through the various initiatives will be tracked.

5. Travel time reduction on transit will be tracked.

6. Attainable AMI goals for affordable housing will tracked.

7. Number of advisory, alliance, coalition, and board meetings attended will be recorded.

8. Number of activated advocates recorded.

9. Number of new leaders trained in Leadership Institute to advocate for equity in transportation, affordable housing, and access to jobs will be quantified.

● Decisionmakers

1. Policy Makers: All relevant government entities within the City of Atlanta, MARTA, Atlanta Regional Commission, GDOT, Atlanta Housing Authority, Aerotropolis, and Invest Atlanta

2. Influencers: Transformation Alliance, Ft. McPherson, Neighborhood Planning Units (NPU), Georgia Standup Policy Institute graduates, Georgia Standup’s monthly meeting participants, and involved non-profits and foundations.

5 ● Coalition Partners

Atlanta Regional Commission, ARC Transportation Equity Advisory Group, Transformation Alliance, Pro Georgia (17 non-profits, civic engagement), Jobs with Justice, Turner Field Coalition, Ft. McPherson, and the SPARCC Roundtable.

● Racial Justice Advancement

The past demonstrates how federal housing and transportation policies enacted following World War II ensured that the benefits of public investments would generally be denied to Black families who were unable to build wealth through home ownership and whose neighborhoods were devasted by highway construction and urban renewal programs. Land use and transportation plans created during this time in Atlanta envisioned clearing out Black areas near the central business district and creating a transportation system that would transport white suburban residents to their jobs downtown. Later, plans for a truly regional rapid transit system were opposed by these newly suburban families. For the majority of its life, the MARTA system included two counties that touch the City of Atlanta rather than the five core counties included in its original plans.

Identifiable improvements cannot be made without addressing the institutional racism that has created the systems and structures that have led us to this impasse. By proactively addressing racial injustices, Atlanta will find itself on the path to improving access to transit, housing, and jobs. Policies must directly address disparities.

● Campaign Timeline

Two-year timeline:

o September-December 2017: Develop campaign plan, engage community advisory committees, have interns develop appropriate toolkits, attend relevant meetings for engagement and advocacy. o January 2018-December 2018: Advocacy and campaign implementation

● Campaign Strategies

Develop a robust community engagement and education campaign. Activate the affected community base. Ensure that we are participants in all advisory boards and coalitions that matter to the campaign issues.

1. We will activate our existing base to challenge discriminatory policies. Organize people to attend important community meetings and engagement sessions by using robo calls, emails, and other outreach strategies.

2. We will use Grounded Solutions Network's new toolkit which is designed to help communities better understand policies available to promote inclusion and how it might work best in their local context. Unlike many other housing policy toolkits, What about Housing? is intended to be used

6 primarily as a decision-making tool. Using the toolkit, community leaders and policymakers can start with local dynamics—their community’s housing situation and the outcomes they want to achieve— and determine which policy tools best suit their needs. The toolkit also provides accompanying links to additional resources for a deeper dive into each policy tool. As federal support for housing programs lessens, the need for local policy tools to prevent displacement and improve housing affordability and access is essential.

3. Track and monitor the six/seven infrastructure projects that are simultaneously occurring in the City with a community lens. Determine whether deliverables are being honored and if improvements are implemented. Renew Atlanta Oversight Committee:

4. We will make sure that we are participants in the Renew Atlanta Oversight Committee and that all of the Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs) are included in the deliberation to determine which projects make the final list. We will advocate for an Infrastructure Czar who monitors and coordinates the execution of all of these various projects to insure coordination. Georgia Standup will advocate for engagement equity. As elected officials change that govern an affected district, Georgia Standup will make sure that we know their stances and that they are educated on the issues.

5. Report findings to PWF, community, and agencies. Georgia Standup will provide oversight on equity inclusion for all projects.

6. Increase the equity subject matter expertise of advisory board and oversight participants.

7. The Atlanta City Council will have to appoint various community representatives to Boards and Commissions. We will train community leaders to be able to meaningfully participate in advisory boards and oversight committees by using plain language translation and cultural competency. Also, through the Georgia Standup Leadership Development Policy Institute, invite community members to participate so that they can be trained to be stronger advocates.

8. We will monitor the implementation of the Downtown Atlanta Master Plan that was recently approved. This 15-year blueprint for the growth and redevelopment of downtown Atlanta must coordinate with all of the existing infrastructure plans. Downtown projects include: the development of the railroad gulch, the renovation of Philips Arena, the sale of Underground Atlanta and the sale and redevelopment of the Atlanta Civic Center.

9. Keisha Lance Bottoms in the new mayor of the City of Atlanta. Monitor the implementation of policies from the previous administration in the new administration. Hold her accountable to campaign promises to address affordable housing, transportation, and education.

10. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Emory University have been annexed into the City of Atlanta for the purpose of participating in the TSPLOST. Their ultimate goal is to bring a transit station to their university. For the sake of equity, we must ensure that as new station is built for them one is also constructed for South DeKalb on the East Line so that community can have access to transit.

11. We are in active discussions with Councilman Andre Dickens to lower the AMI on the Atlanta Affordable Housing Zoning Ordinance.

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12. Participation in policy implementation: The city plans to convene a working group in 2018 to implement a variety of program and policy changes around housing. Some of those efforts include reforming and modernizing building codes, tax codes, and foreclosure policies, supporting rapid response rental assistance (including counseling services for those facing evictions), and developing a tenant’s rights education campaign on code enforcement, among others. We aim to participate on this committee.

13. Protect residents from predatory residential investors by addressing concerns pertaining to code enforcement: Investors are harassing seniors by reporting code infractions on their property that they are unable to address due to physical limitations or due to limited finances. The mounting fines from the City are pressuring seniors to sell their homes because they can’t afford to pay the fines. By using the youth from the Youth Council in the Oakland City neighborhood, we will train them in zoning and code enforcement so that they can assist neighborhood seniors.

14. Monitor the legal basis in Georgia for eminent domain. In Georgia, land cannot be taken and handed over to private developers to increase revenues. However, land can be taken for a public redevelopment projects, such as a facility or park to help deal with flooding issues. The City is using the guise of addressing environmental issues to acquire neighborhoods. This rationale is problematic because it uses the symptoms of the neighborhood’s systemic neglect to become a reason for displacing families. Cities are given a presumption of public necessity, placing the burden of proof on the homeowner. If the law validates this approach, it will allow a built-in justification and could become the most powerful tool in the gentrification arsenal. It would allow almost any city to use the legacy of institutional racism and systemic neglect to further advance the displacement of low-income Black residents. We will monitor the outcome of this challenge and apply pressure where necessary.

15. Social Impact Bonds: Georgia Appleseed and DLA Piper will assess whether Social Impact Bonds (SIB) can work in Georgia. A government entity enters into a contract with an intermediary organization to obtain social services. Typically, the services would be focused on preventative interventions so as to avoid future, much higher cost, remedial measures. The intermediary raises funds to pay for the contracted services from private investors who provide upfront capital in exchange for a share of the government payments disbursed when performance targets are met or exceeded, as determined by an independent auditor. This type of financing method has been termed “pay for success” since the investors will only see a return on investment if agreed upon performance success measures are achieved. The critique of this approach is that it is good for social impact but bad for the community because it takes away their power to advocate for themselves and leads to disenfranchisement. Georgia Standup would monitor the progression of this research and potential policy suggestion.

16. Community Benefits Agreements: There are presently no Community Benefit Agreements (CBA) in Georgia because the law doesn’t provide the legal basis for enforcement. As economic development continues to increase, we will monitor whether there will be newly minted pressure from constituents to make CBA’s enforceable.

8 17. Monitor rezoning of Atlanta: A process has begun to rezone Atlanta, which will change voting districts and community alliances. This process will be closely monitored to ensure equity. The main aim will be to retard gentrification and retain legacy residents.

Capacity Roles and Needs

● Georgia Standup will run the campaign in-house.

● Additional financial resources are needed for Georgia Standup to continue to run this campaign throughout 2018 and beyond.

Movement Building

● This campaign builds much needed infrastructure and capacity needs to monitor, advocate, and agitate where necessary to address systemic racial injustice in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

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