Athens Land Trust

Neighborhood Revitalization

ALT is committed to the revitalization of the Hancock Neighborhood through assisting individuals and groups who are developing projects which will assist the preservation of cultural heritage and land use. The Hancock Neighborhood is located along Hancock Avenue from the downtown area and extends over to the St. Mary's hospital area and the Brooklyn neighborhood off of Hawthorne Avenue.

This is a historically African-American neighborhood that has recently seen a lot real-estate pressure from investors and students desiring housing near the University of Georgia and downtown Athens. Many families who have lived in this neighborhood for generations are low to moderate income and cannot financially compete with investors and students. The properties taxes in this neighborhood have increased tremendously and forced families to move elsewhere.

There are residents within the Hancock area working to preserve affordable housing and the integrity of this community. ALT is partnering with two of these groups--- the Hancock Corridor Advisory Committee (the Neighborhood Association) and the Hancock Community Development Corporation to have a greater impact in the neighborhood.

ALT is also involved in the revitalization efforts of the East Athens neighborhood. Like the Hancock Corridor, East Athens has a rich cultural history that is being threatened by the influx of student rental housing. Two affordable housing communities (the Garden Springs Mobile Home Park and Athens Arms Apartments) were lost to high-end rental housing several years ago. ALT received tax credits from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to build Fourth Street Village, a 120-unit development that will provide additional affordable units for low-income residents. Construction on this project is underway.

ALT also has rehabilitated several affordable single-family homes in East Athens, including 51 Dublin, 125 Stanelle, and 130 Andrea. With increased development, both single family and multi-family, the average house and land prices in East Athens are rising rapidly. Because of ALT's ground lease, our homes will always be permanently affordable and owner-occupied. The limited equity formula in the ground lease ensures that when homeowners wish to sell, they will receive a fair return on their investment while keeping the price affordable for other low-to-moderate income people. In this way, ALT's program slows down the gentrification that often occurs when a neighborhood is revitalized. Homes on land owned by ALT will provide some housing that is affordable to the original, long-term residents, in essence, keeping a mixed-income community.

ALT received a grant of $4,700 from the Fund for Southern Communities to increase the amount of open space, neighborhood parks, and community gardens in East Athens and the Hancock Corridor. ALT has been involved with the Five-Acre Wood in East Athens and the Brooklyn Community Garden in the Hancock Corridor. Seeing the value of these two projects to the residents of these neighborhoods inspired ALT to promote additional open spaces in these neighborhoods. ALT is working with A-CC Leisure Services, and we have been involved in the community meetings about the Rocksprings park, the Reese-Pope park, and other projects.

Revitalization Efforts by the Athens Land Trust:

Hands On Athens:

The 11th annual Hands on Athens took place on March 30, 31, and April 1, 2007. The Hands on Athens project founded in 1999 by the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation and the Athens Land Trust to help restore the historic Hancock Corridor. Homeowners who meet the requirements of being low-income, owning a property that is at least fifty years old, and occupying their property apply for restoration work. Materials are either donated or purchased with donated funds, and labor is provided by hard-working, dedicated volunteers. The project has become a true community-wide effort, with the steering committee comprised of representatives from twelve community-minded organizations and by expanding the reach of the program into the East Athens neighborhoods. For the past few years, ALT members George Wright, Neal Anderson, and Al Pless have worked behind the scenes in the months leading up to the event to help identify qualified homeowners, evaluating the needs of each site, recruiting house captains, and procuring materials to repair and revitalize the outside of these lower-income residents' homes. This year ALT worked on Julia Jones’ house on Magnolia Avenue.

For additional information contact the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation at www.achfonline.org.

Brooklyn Community Garden

Over the past several years, ALT has assisted a group of residents and other non-profit organizations to build a community garden. The garden is located in the Brooklyn Neighborhood, which is within the greater Hancock Neighborhood.

A Community Garden is a park-like area near in the neighborhood where several families can grow vegetables and flowers together on their own garden plots. Community Gardens beautify neighborhoods and bring neighbors closer together. They can help reduce crime and provide safe spaces for neighbors to come together.

There are 9 families participating in this community garden which has been dedicated to Mae Willie who used to live on this property.

In 2006, the garden was moved across the street to its permanent home. Thanks to the generosity of the Athens Housing Authority, a lot was donated for the garden to have a permanent location. The residents of the neighborhood say that having the garden turned their neighborhood around. In a place were undesirable activities used to take place, now there are flowers and vegetables growing for everyone to enjoy!