ARC unveils part two of first-ever regional housing plan

The Atlanta Regional Commission has released the second step of its first-ever Regional Housing Strategy: A list of 10 “housing actions” to create more affordable homes in the region by 2035. At the Oct. 14 ARC board meeting, commission leaders presented progress on “Housing Forward 2035,” months after the plan was publicly unveiled in August.  The plan aims to address a stark statistic: If Metro Atlanta’s population keeps growing at the same rate, 75% of people making less than $55,000 a year won’t have a “housing solution”by 2035. It spurred the ARC into action in September 2025. For 14 months, the housing team worked on analysis and engagement. They came away with three goals – build strategically for intentional growth, close the affordability gap and activate vacant and underutilized properties. The commission also came away with some data-oriented targets, like 367,000 new homes by 2035, an affordability gap cut in half for households earning less than $55,000 a y