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Council Communications
Atlanta City Hall
55 Trinity Ave. SW
Atlanta, GA 30303

February 17, 2020 

Atlanta City Council Approves Anti-Housing Discrimination Legislation 

ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council approved an ordinance Monday prohibiting landlords from refusing to rent or sell a home based on the applicant’s source of income, including denying the acceptance of government vouchers (Legislative Reference No. 20-O-1155). The legislation was approved by a vote of 13-2.

District 3 Council member Antonio Brown, the bill’s originating sponsor, believes that the legislation is first and foremost about equity.

“Our laws already protect you from housing discrimination based on things like age, gender, and race,” Brown said. “However, using a voucher as your source of income makes you just as much a potential victim of this kind of discriminatory behavior. I think it’s critical that we codify that there’s no place for that in Atlanta.”

District 2 Council member Amir Farokhi, who co-sponsored the legislation, feels the measure is an important step forward in addressing the city’s affordable housing concerns.

“I was proud to stand with Council member Brown on this legislation,” Farokhi said. “This is an important, tangible step forward on equitable housing access. Removing barriers to access for would-be renters and buyers allows our neighborhoods to be economically diverse, which is a foundation for economic mobility. Everyone deserves to share in the benefits of our city’s growth.”

The Council also approved legislation encouraging the Georgia General Assembly to prohibit landlords statewide from refusing to accept subsidized housing vouchers as rental income (Legislative Reference No. 20-R-3291).

Additional items approved Monday include:

• An ordinance authorizing the Department of City Planning to establish a building permit fee waiver program available to private sector entities pursuing an affordable housing development or development that includes a defined number of units set aside as affordable housing (Legislative Reference No. 20-O-1028).

• An ordinance authorizing the city of Atlanta and Invest Atlanta to prioritize funding received via Community Development Block Grants and other sources, financial incentives, and financing options for development projects that include affordable housing within Atlanta for the next five years (Legislative Reference No. 20-O-1156). The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is a federally funded grant that focuses on benefiting low- to moderate-income people by providing resources for livable neighborhoods, economic empowerment, and decent housing.

• A resolution establishing the City of Atlanta Task Force for Accessibility and Inclusion to be charged with evaluating accessibility to City Hall, public meetings, briefings, and presentations (Legislative Reference No. 20-R-3293).

The Council also immediately approved:

• A resolution urging the governing board of the Office of the Inspector General to act with all deliberate speed and without delay to begin the process of selecting a candidate for appointment to the position of the inspector general of the city of Atlanta.

• A resolution amending the 2020 legislative package to include support for Georgia House Bill 830. The bill would expand the percentage of an eligible large retirement system's assets that may be utilized toward alternative investments.

Council members introduced several items for consideration in committee meetings next week, including:

• A resolution strongly urging railroad company CSX to consider the future needs of the city of Atlanta, the Atlanta BeltLine, and the surrounding community as they begin the process for the sale of Hulsey Yard.

• A resolution requesting the mayor take into consideration and fund priorities that the Atlanta City Council recommends be included in the Fiscal Year 2021 budget.

• An ordinance establishing a moratorium on the acceptance of any new construction permits near Westside Park.

• A resolution directing the Office of Resilience to establish a food waste diversion and prevention program pilot to allow businesses, governments, schools, and organizations to participate in for the purpose of reducing and reusing food waste.

• An ordinance authorizing the donation of 20 surplus computers to The Villages at Carver Family YMCA.

• A resolution authorizing the mayor or her designee, on behalf of the Atlanta Police Department, to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with Georgia State University for the purpose of providing food services for employees during the NCAA Basketball Final Four.

• An ordinance authorizing a donation in an amount not to exceed $50,000 from the District 3 consulting/professional account to the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta for the District 3 participatory budgeting project (“Community Engagement Task Force”).

Members of the Council presented proclamations in recognition of Reverend Eric Terrell, SCLC /W.O.M.E.N Inc., the American Heart Association, and Georgia Arbor Day.

About Atlanta City Council
The Atlanta City Council is the chief policy-making body for the City of Atlanta. It acts by considering and enacting all laws that govern the City. The council also approves the operating and capital budgets for the City as recommended by the mayor, and it continually monitors revenues and expenditures for local government operations. The Atlanta City Council reviews and has final say on many land-use and zoning matters. Major economic development projects for the City also fall under the council’s consideration.

The Atlanta City Council is comprised of 12 districts and three at-large posts. Council representatives include: Council President: Felicia A. Moore; District 1: Carla Smith; District 2: Amir Farokhi; District 3: Antonio Brown; District 4: Cleta Winslow; District 5: Natalyn Mosby Archibong; District 6: Jennifer N. Ide; District 7: Howard Shook; District 8: J.P. Matzigkeit; District 9: Dustin Hillis; District 10: Andrea L. Boone; District 11: Marci Collier Overstreet; District 12: Joyce M. Sheperd; Post 1 At-Large: Michael Julian Bond; Post 2 At-Large: Matt Westmoreland; and Post 3 At-Large: Andre Dickens.

To learn more about the Atlanta City Council, please visit http://citycouncil.atlantaga.gov/. For the latest updates, follow the Atlanta City Council on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Contacts:        Zena Lewis                              zolewis@atlantaga.gov                       404-330-6309

                        Talia Moffitt                             tkmoffitt@atlantaga.gov                     404-546-1835 

                        Michael Ulmer                        mmulmer@atlantaga.gov                   404-330-6056