FINLEY STREET COTTAGES

LOCATION: Atlanta, GA

SIZE: 0.6 Acres

STATUS: Completed

PARTNERS: Self-developed

SERVICES PROVIDED: Main Street Redevelopment, Development Guidance, Zoning and Policy Guidance, Housing Attainability, Architecture, Urban Design

In Atlanta, as elsewhere, citizens are suffering due to a lack of attainable housing. Options that do exist are farther and farther away from public transit, which is making housing less affordable at twice the rate. Advocates are often shocked to learn that building lower-cost housing is functionally illegal. Still, Southern cities are gradually changing that, and Atlanta is making incremental steps toward better outcomes. Finley Street Cottages is a development that such efforts made possible.

As a pilot project that started brewing in late 2019, Finley Street demonstrates the attainable rental housing possibilities that are achievable through incremental zoning reform. Specifically, it was made possible via modifications to Atlanta’s zoning to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Reduced parking requirements were also critical to maximizing housing opportunities in this existing two-family zoning district. The savings achieved by providing no off-street parking will be passed on to the residents. These savings are a key piece of the affordability puzzle, because even when rents are set through Inclusionary Zoning (IZ), parking mandates on workforce housing make the total cost of living unaffordable. Currently, the cost of car ownership in Atlanta averages over $1,000 per month. In this context, mobility-rich projects like Finley Street have an obligation to maximize housing options that leverage transportation alternatives—and capture the true costs savings they provide.