The Atlanta Regional Commission previewed Housing Forward 2035, a regional housing strategy, at the Sept. 2, 2026 Atlanta Regional Housing Forum. The plan sets a goal of building 367,000 homes across ARC's 11-county region by 2035 and aims to cut the region's housing affordability gap in half; formal ARC Board adoption is expected by the end of 2026.
Why it matters
ARC says the region needs about 117,000 new homes priced for households earning $55,000 or less by 2035, but current trends are only on pace to produce about 28,000, leaving an estimated 89,000-unit gap. The strategy also flags roughly 104,000 existing affordable units as being at risk of loss, and identifies about 106,000 vacant or underutilized properties -- including 1,530 publicly owned parcels -- as targets for new housing, with a goal of converting 10% of vacant parcels into homes by 2035.
What to watch
ARC's Board is expected to formally adopt Housing Forward 2035 by the end of 2026, which would trigger the plan's 10 follow-on regional housing actions, including a certification program, a regional housing dashboard, and expanded financing tools. Implementation and zoning decisions still happen county by county and city by city.
Sources and documents2 sources
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