Decatur unveils affordable workforce housing with Oak Cottage Court

DECATUR, Ga. - The City of Decatur, in collaboration with the Development Authority of the City of Decatur (DDA) and Decatur Land Trust (DLT), proudly announces the completion of Oak Cottage Court. This significant workforce housing community on Commerce Drive features six cottages, offering two to three bedrooms each, and is priced between $210,000 and $305,000. 

The community is within a ten-minute walk to the MARTA rail and ten different bus lines, connecting residents to shops, restaurants, K-12 schools, parks, and more, according to a press release.

"As an inclusive community, Decatur’s affordability goal is ensuring there’s housing available for all levels of income," said Conor McNally, President of the DDA. "We aim to broaden our economic diversity by creating opportunities for middle-income buyers previously priced out of the market."

The DDA, in collaboration with the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership and the Decatur Land Trust, has implemented deed restrictions to preserve the affordability of the cottages in perpetuity. 

Formed in 2019 and empowered to purchase and build property in 2020, the DLT's largest project to date is Oak Cottage Court. Their first venture into affordable housing began with condos at Park 108 in 2022, an office adaptive reuse project in collaboration with Toll Bros. The homes at Oak Cottage Court are priced to be affordable for those earning the area median income (AMI) across the Atlanta metro area.

Priority for these homes will be given to city, school, and housing authority employees. However, the homes are available to all income-qualified buyers, especially those currently working or renting in Decatur. If multiple offers are received, a tiered preference approach will be used, prioritizing current City of Decatur, City Schools of Decatur, and Decatur Housing Authority employees, followed by employees of any government agency or nonprofit in the city, employees of any Decatur business, current renters in Decatur, and finally, all other qualified buyers.

"This is part of an expanding campaign to address affordable and workforce housing in Decatur, though no single effort will solve this problem alone," said City of Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett. "Our hope is by working together, we can begin to provide true economic diversity for our community."

For more information on Oak Cottage Court, please visit DecaturLandTrust.org.