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Stacey Abrams provides plan for more affordable housing in Georgia

By Tyler Fingert
Published  July 27, 2022 12:23pm EDT
2022 Midterm Elections
FOX 5 Atlanta

Stacey Abrams' plan to address affordable housing problem

The plan, she says, addresses shrinking inventory and gentrification.

ATLANTA - We are a little more than three months away from when Georgians will head to the polls to decide who should lead the state for the next four years.

Democratic Gubernatorial hopeful Stacey Abrams released her plan Wednesday to tackle what she calls a housing problem in the state.

The plan is about making sure housing is affordable.

Abrams has focused on four major parts, including shrinking inventory and gentrification.

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"What I know is this is not an issue for simply low-income communities," she said. "This is an issue for Georgians."

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JULY 02: Stacey Abrams speaks onstage during the 2022 Essence Festival of Culture at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 2, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Essence)

Abrams officially unveiled a new plan Wednesday to address the growing housing crisis in Georgia. The proposal is part of her bid to oust incumbent Republican Governor Brian Kemp.

"Across Georgia, too many families can't find affordable homes to buy or rent," Abrams said. "This leaves them displaced, transient, and too often they face the impossible decision of whether to feed their families or keep a roof over their heads."

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The plan looks to address the issues of unaffordable housing, the shrinking inventory of properties, homelessness, and gentrification. 

Some of the ways Abrams plans to tackle them are to expand the ‘Georgia Dream Program,’ which helps first-time homeowners, increase funding to the affordable housing trust fund, create a permanent emergency rental assistance fund and find a way to help homeowners being forced out of gentrified neighborhoods.

"I want to address the issue of gentrification," Abrams said. "We have a comprehensive plan that allows us to create circuit breakers so that people who live in neighborhoods that are finally on the cusp of getting a better quality of life do not lose their opportunity to enjoy that quality of life."

Abrams also blamed Gov. Brian Kemp for not addressing the growing problem — saying he is sitting on $450 million that could be used to help Georgians. 

Kemp's campaign released a statement that reads in part, "In the last year alone, Governor Kemp has allocated $100 million to support nonprofits that provide affordable housing and aid individuals experiencing homelessness. If Stacey Abrams wants to blame anyone for economic instability, she should start with Joe Biden and her own party." 

Abrams hopes her plan will make a difference and voters will see that.

"The typical Atlanta households spends 50% of their income on housing and transportation," she said. "That makes Atlanta the 7th least affordable city in the nation."