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	<title>Georgia &#8211; HOA ALLIANCE</title>
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	<title>Georgia &#8211; HOA ALLIANCE</title>
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		<title>UCI study finds affordable homes don’t dent OC property values or increase crime</title>
		<link>https://www.hoaalliance.org/uci-study-finds-affordable-homes-dont-dent-oc-property-values-or-increase-crime/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[HOA Alliance]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Jun 2022 18:07:58 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Georgia HOA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Georgia]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hoaalliance.org/?p=320196</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Any community that has considered where to build affordable housing has probably heard some version of these concerns: “If you put this in my community, crime is going to go up and my housing value is going to go down.” That’s the perception UC Irvine professor George Tita, who heads the university’s Livable Cities Lab, often hears – and a new study he and his colleagues just completed looks at affordable developments in Orange County to explore whether those assumptions are supported by facts. The researchers will share key findings of the study Thursday in an event at Irvine City Hall. While there are nuances to the data, Tita said it lines up with other studies that show affordable housing doesn’t drag down the quality of a community. “Affordable housing at the very worst has no impact on crime or housing values,” Tita said. And, in many cases, he said, “there is a positive impact on the price of homes sold and the average price per square foot of homes sold in the three years after affordable housing is placed” in a neighborhood. Researchers are still analyzing the data, but those are the top-line conclusions. There could be several factors driving those results: high standards in regulations require affordable developments to look as nice or nicer than other housing in the community, and, as Tita pointed out, a quality new build is an investment in the neighborhood that might be replacing a disused lot or a run-down motel that saw frequent police calls. Whatever is at the root of the findings, they’re not a surprise to Lucy Dunn, the former head of the Orange County Business Council. She said she’s been hearing arguments about home values and crime since she headed the state Housing and Community Development Department under Gov. Arnold Schawzenegger. They stem from “fear of change and fear of newcomers,” Dunn said, but in the early 2000s there weren’t any studies to help put those fears to rest. Now the issue has been looked at by a number of researchers (Tita said they’ve largely drawn conclusions that match his findings), but the UCI study is the first to specifically look at Orange County. Tita said people are less likely to be persuaded by data from a different community in another state, and he hopes local policy makers can use the UCI study “to influence some skeptics on the issue.” No negative impacts The study was funded by several affordable housing developers, two nonprofits, the Orange County Housing Authority and the cities of Anaheim and Garden Grove. It focused on a list of 371 developments around the county that are designated as “affordable,” which usually means tenants have to meet income guidelines or other criteria, and their rent is restricted or subsidized. Emergency shelters were not included. While Irvine has the most affordable homes of any OC city, the study shows affordable developments are scattered around the county – but more heavily concentrated in the northern cities. Residents start to move into Sage Park, Irvine’s new affordable housing complex in January 2022. (File photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) Residents start to move into Sage Park, Irvine’s new affordable housing complex this week. The grand opening ceremony on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 celebrated the completion of 32 of the 68 two-to three-story townhomes built. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) Economic and demographic data show much of the county’s affordable housing is in communities that are less White and have lower median incomes and home values, Tita said. Using 20 years of sales data for homes within two miles of an affordable development (and adjusting to account for the 2008 recession and more recent home price explosion), researchers looked at what happened to values before and after an affordable development opened. In lower-income communities, homes closest to an affordable site typically increased in value after the new housing was built, according to the study. In higher-income communities, the nearest homes sometimes saw their overall value decrease slightly after the addition of affordable housing, but the study said those tended to be larger homes. Generally the price per square foot actually went up, just as it did in poorer neighborhoods. Orange County already has a lower crime rate than the state overall, Tita noted, and putting in affordable housing appears to either reduce violent crimes such as robbery and aggravated assault or have no impact. Property crimes in some cases increased very slightly – say, one additional car break-in every two years within a fifth of a mile of the new housing – but Tita called the overall impact of that “imperceptible.” Irvine, which is consistently deemed one of the safest places to live, has been successful in its addition of affordable housing in part because, as a newer city, it’s been able to incorporate lower-income homes as new developments are built – and that means often there aren’t existing neighbors to object, said Councilman Anthony Kuo, who grew up in the city. To meet city requirements, many market-rate developments include a small percentage of affordable units and the developments use the same quality of materials as any other housing, he said. “That makes people part of the community,” Kuo said. “No one’s going to say, ‘Oh well, that apartment building on the corner in the back is the poor people,’ because we’ve deliberately incorporated those apartment communities into the greater community.” Steve Rosansky was on the Newport Beach City Council in 2015 when it approved over the objections of some in the neighborhood a 12-unit complex in Newport Shores for rent to veterans and seniors with lower incomes. There’s been “no impact at all, from what I can tell, except some seniors have a very nice place to live,” he said. One less barrier? Michael Manville, associate professor of urban planning at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs, said the findings of the UCI study aren’t surprising for a few reasons. Part of the lack of]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>North End residents telling city what works for traffic safety</title>
		<link>https://www.hoaalliance.org/north-end-residents-telling-city-what-works-for-traffic-safety/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[HOA Alliance]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 May 2022 16:41:41 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Georgia HOA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Georgia]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hoaalliance.org/?p=319642</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[North End community residents who attended an open house on April 26 were glad to see suggested traffic safety recommendations and improvements for pedestrian and bicycle use, though they weren’t sure all the ideas were viable. Sandy Springs hosted a North End Traffic Safety Analysis public information session at the North Fulton Government Service Center, which is within the study area. Mike Holt of Stantec shows Shaleah Grice (left) and Alyson Foy (right) proposed traffic safety improvements to the Roswell Road corridor. (Bob Pepalis) A local resident makes a mid-block crossing without the benefit of a crosswalk. In a separate proposal, the city has plans to install a crosswalk here to connect the North Fulton Government Service Center with bus stops on both sides of Roswell Road. (Bob Pepalis) This rendering shows the HAWK pedestrian crossing concept proposed on Roswell Road. Keith Strickland of Stantec answers community members’ questions during the open house. (Bob Pepalis) “The study is bounded primarily by three main corridors: Roswell Road, then Dunwoody Place and Northridge,” said Keith Strickland of Stantec, the city’s consultant for the analysis. “The city before even advertising the study looked at high crash rate areas all along the city and identified these corridors in the North End area as potential high crash areas.” Stantec’s final product will be to develop improvements that mitigate some of the crashes. The firm also is looking at multimodal features – for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit – to make safety and convenience improvements, he said. Before drafting its proposal, Stantec and the city want community input on ideas it may suggest. That started with having residents comment and markup maps showing Stantec’s ideas, along with adding any ideas of their own. From April 27 through May 10, the city will have the North End Roadway Safety Analysis Study Survey live on its website for residents to add their suggestions and comments. Among Stantec’s proposals are medians and mid-block crosswalks that would connect more bus transit stops to both sides of Roswell Road. Another idea is to eliminate left turns out of intersections that don’t have traffic signals. Instead, motorists would turn right and make a U-turn a short distance down the road in a planned “R-Cut.” Shaleah Grice, who lives off Roberts Drive, doesn’t think these U-turns would work that well. Traffic is too fast on Roswell Road and the U-turn locations are too close to the intersections to enable motorists to get across two lanes of traffic to make the turn, she said. Once the motorist reaches the turning point, the speed of traffic again becomes an issue as a motorist can only drive about 5 mph to make the U-turn, she said. Strickland said during a short presentation that 30% to 40% of the recorded accidents involved a motorist turning left. Residents found things to like about Stantec’s suggestions. “I like what they’re doing over here moving the intersection at Hope Road and High Tower, so they line up,” said Alyson Foy, a townhome resident in the North End. “I never understood why they weren’t in line or maybe they were just trying to line it up for the entrance in and out of the little shopping plaza and never expecting a road.” Stantec will finish its study in September. The consultants will turn in two reports, with one on intersection safety and the other on multimodal enhancements.]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>Looking for rental assistance? Fulton County can help.</title>
		<link>https://www.hoaalliance.org/looking-for-rental-assistance-fulton-county-can-help/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[HOA Alliance]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Apr 2022 22:11:38 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Fulton County HOA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Georgia HOA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GA HOA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Georgia]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hoaalliance.org/?p=232621</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Shared from @fultoncomm5 Qualifying Fulton County residents outside the City of Atlanta can receive up to 18 months of rental assistance. In addition, the cap on maximum rent payments per month has been removed. Qualified applicants can now receive: Take the Quiz to if you qualify and submit your application today.  www.fultoncountyga.gov/renthelp]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>Apartment complex underway at Echo Street West development</title>
		<link>https://www.hoaalliance.org/apartment-complex-underway-at-echo-street-west-development/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[HOA Alliance]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Apr 2022 22:08:16 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Georgia HOA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GA HOA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Georgia]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hoaalliance.org/?p=189016</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[A 292-unit apartment building called Vibe is under construction at the mixed-use Echo Street West development on the Westside. According to a press release on the project, 20% of the units will be listed as affordable at 80% area median income (AMI). Project developer Lincoln Property Company said the rise in jobs and investment from tech companies, such as Microsoft’s forthcoming Westside campus, as the key driver for apartment demand in the area. Amenities at Vibe will include a “maker’s room,” pet spa, podcast studio, and nearly 4,000 square feet of rooftop space. Vibe will also has numerous entries and exits as part of Echo Street West’s “no front door” concept, integrating the resident experience with the rest of the development’s retail, restaurants, entertainment, greenspaces, and the Atlanta BeltLine. Pre-leasing will begin later this summer with first resident move-ins slated for the end of the year. Visit Echo Street West’s website for more information. Source: Reporter Newspapers &#38; Atlanta Intown]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>Fate of historic Buckhead home unknown as new development plans move forward</title>
		<link>https://www.hoaalliance.org/fate-of-historic-buckhead-home-unknown-as-new-development-plans-move-forward/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[HOA Alliance]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Apr 2022 22:02:13 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Georgia HOA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GA HOA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Georgia]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hoaalliance.org/?p=188994</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The house at 660 West Paces Ferry Road, known as Whispering Pines and built in 1928, could be demolished as part of a developer’s plans to build an 8-house subdivision on the property. (Special) The fate of a nearly century-old home along Buckhead’s historic West Paces Ferry Road remains up in the air as a developer moves forward to build a new subdivision on the site.  An affiliate of the Macallan Group, an Atlanta-based construction and real estate firm, purchased the home and the roughly four acres its sits on at 660 West Paces Ferry Road NW for $3.3 million in December. The company wants to build a cul-de-sac with eight new houses on the property near the Northside Drive intersection. Doing so could mean razing the stately mansion built in 1928 and known by many as Whispering Pines. Residents living in the surrounding affluent neighborhoods, including West Paces Ferry/Northside, Chastain Park and Tuxedo Park, as well as the Atlanta Preservation Society, have been in talks with the developer for several months to try to find a way to save the house. They say it represents a slice of Atlanta’s history and culture and should be incorporated into the new subdivision development.  Construction on the subdivision is expected to start this summer, but a decision still remains on what to do with Whispering Pines. “The Macallan Group is working closely [with the residents] to determine a way to preserve the house on the property, but there is not a solidified plan at this time,” the company said this week in a prepared statement. “The Macallan Group has presented several plan options and are diligently working together to find a beneficial solution for all parties involved.” Designed by renowned architectural firm Pringle and Smith, Whispering Pines was the longtime home of Harrison Jones, chair of the Coca-Cola Company in the 1950s, and his wife, Kathryn. It is one of about 24 houses on West Paces Ferry that are about a century old but have no historical protections. The 7,000-square-foot house is hidden from the now bustling corridor behind a grove of trees and a white picket fence. It includes a swimming pool and a vast garden. House and Garden magazine in 1929 compared it to George Washington’s Mount Vernon. David Mitchell, executive director of the Atlanta Preservation Society, is working with residents and the developer as they negotiate a way to try to preserve the home and find a sustainable future for it, he said.  “The West Paces Ferry corridor becomes between World War I and World II a really unique and unparalleled space in the city of showing the rise of a certain genre of North Atlanta that is still in existence today through the architecture,” Mitchell said.  West Paces Ferry Road was also home to many philanthropists and created a component of Buckhead known for its regal homes sitting on lush, large lots, Mitchell said. The families not only built extravagant houses to live in but also contributed their wealth to the entire city of Atlanta. That is history worth preserving, Mitchell said. “When you say Buckhead, it’s defined by West Paces Ferry corridor,” he said.  While change is necessary in any thriving city, developers can also respect the history and culture of a community it plans to redevelop, Mitchell said. Buckhead and West Paces Ferry Road represent a time in Atlanta’s history that can still be experienced through its architecture and homes, for example, he said. “There’s a certain level of stewardship, of responsibility,” he said.  Source: Reporter Newspapers &#38; Atlanta Intown]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>#SandySprings High Point meeting addresses property taxes, housing challenges</title>
		<link>https://www.hoaalliance.org/sandysprings-high-point-meeting-addresses-property-taxes-housing-challenges/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[HOA Alliance]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 Apr 2022 00:03:07 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Georgia HOA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GA HOA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Georgia]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hoaalliance.org/?p=173421</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Sandy Springs City Manager Eden Freeman and Mayor Rusty Paul explained to the High Point Civic Association that if their property taxes are going up, it’s because of the county and the school system. Freeman spoke with the association at its annual meeting on March 23. She said her return to Sandy Springs after working for the city from 2009 to 2014 is a pleasure and a privilege. A wayfinding sign is planned for the Windsor Parkway-Roswell Road intersection, but the city needs more land for the signage and a right turn lane. “And coming back here, I want to build upon that legacy and also continue to enhance everything that we’re doing with improving transportation,” she said. Freeman told the association that when Sandy Springs was incorporated, the millage rate was set at 4.731. “A referendum would be required to change that millage rate to go higher,” she said. Roughly 14% of a property owner’s tax bill stays with the city, with the remainder going to the county – approximately 54% to Fulton County Schools and 30% to Fulton County, with the state getting a share of it also. “You see that the millage rate is set in stone,” Mayor Rusty Paul said. The council and mayor can’t change it, only the voters can. “About eight to 10 years ago, we took a further step. We had then asked Wendell Willard, who was our city attorney and also a member of the legislature, to go in and cap the amount the taxes in Sandy Springs can go up based on assessments,” Paul said. The increase is capped at either 3% of the consumer price index, whichever is lower, he said. With inflation as high as 10% in metro Atlanta (as it had the highest inflation rate in the country for the past three months) Sandy Springs can still only let property taxes be raised based on valuation by 3%. “And how do we do that? We basically have a floating homestead exemption so that when your assessment goes up, your homestead exemption goes up to offset all that either 3% or CPI increase that we’re allowed to do under state law,” Paul said. But the overall property tax bill still can increase, he said. “The county and the school board operate under different rules. So you may get an increase from them, but you’re not gonna get it from the city of Sandy Springs,” he said. The city is working to make a “mid-course correction” to its Next Ten comprehensive plan, with a panel of city residents looking at the code to advise City Council on needed changes. Housing challenges need a regional solution The city does face a disturbing challenge in housing, Paul said. A homeowner is in great shape with housing values rising 17% in the last 12 months. But, many people don’t know that 42% of the single-family homes bought in metro Atlanta, including Sandy Springs, were bought by hedge funds and private capital for rental purposes only, he said. Paul said money managers are looking at single family houses as an investment. “Our firefighters, the people who work at the hospitals, all those, they’re getting crowded out. Sandy Springs only built seven houses last year. The whole city. So we do have a housing issue that we’re trying to deal with,” he said. The High Point Civic Association might be surprised to learn that more than 60% of the housing in the city is rental, Paul said, which is the reverse for the rest of North Fulton. “The cost of red clay in Sandy Springs is more valuable than gold, and land is going for between a million and $3 million an acre. People are now tearing down $700,000 houses and building houses that are in the $3 million to $4 million range, he said. Paul said he’s on the ARC Housing Task Force and knows this is not just a Sandy Springs problem and isn’t something the city can solve on its own. Councilman Tibby DeJulio said the land costs affect city plans for wayfinding signs and roadway safety improvements. A traffic study on the intersection of Windsor Parkway and Roswell Road showed that Windsor has too much traffic to have right turns and traffic going straight in the same lane, he said. City traffic planners came to the realization that a right turn lane was needed. “We have a little sliver of property right there. But we’re going to need more property,” DeJulio said. But land is going for a premium in Sandy Springs as the mayor remarked, DeJulio said. “That’d be a big improvement because the few cars that go straight through really hold it up for most of the cars which do turn right at that intersection,” he said. Source: Reporter Newspapers &#38; Atlanta Intown]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>Your Next Home Could Be In… Stone Mountain</title>
		<link>https://www.hoaalliance.org/your-next-home-could-be-in-stone-mountain/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[HOA Alliance]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Feb 2022 22:05:36 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Georgia HOA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Georgia]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.hoaalliance.org/?p=30460</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Downtown Stone Mountain Where is it? A 30-minute drive east of Downtown in DeKalb County. Just look for the big rock (it’s a 350-million-year-old quartz monzonite dome monadnock, if you want to get technical about it). Stone Mountain Park What’s the history? The granite outcropping was already a tourist destination for early settlers in the 1830s, with the Macon Telegraph describing it as a “stupendous pyramid.” Many visitors were so drawn to the mountain, they set up a village near the base. The railroad would then bring even more tourists and created the need for hotels, restaurants, and shops. The bas-relief carving of Confederate generals on the side of the mountain, sculpted from 1915 to 1972, has faced renewed calls for removal as symbols of the Confederacy and white supremacy are dismantled nationwide. A single-family home in Stone Mountain. What’s happening over there? Stone Mountain Village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has a quaint main street full of shops and restaurants (steaks and pasta at Stone Mountain Public House; German fare at The Village Corner; Stoned Pizza Kitchen; Cherokee Rose BBQ; Outrun Brewing Company, Gilly Brew Bar) worth exploring. Despite the controversy over the carving, the park remains a favorite destination for hikers, golfers, and campers. A condo recently on the market in Stone Mountain. What about homes? “Everyone is moving to Stone Mountain” is something we keep hearing, and it’s easy to see why: homes are plentiful and relatively inexpensive for its proximity to the red-hot Atlanta real estate market. You can get a condo or townhouse around $100,000, while ranch-style homes are in the mid-to-upper $200,000s. If you’re not afraid of a fixer-upper, Stone Mountain might be your next home. Shared from Reporter Newspapers &#038; Atlanta Intown.]]></description>
		
		
		
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