Housing Strike Force
Coordinating city agencies to clear stalled housing projects
Bringing agencies together to accelerate progress toward local housing goals
Strike forces resolve bottlenecks, reform systems, deploy innovative solutions, and maximize local output by bringing together every key leader with a hand in housing into one unit.
In Atlanta, Georgia, the typical household needed more than half its income to cover the median rent.
The city recognized that convening local public agencies, quasi-public entities, and civic sector partners is necessary to deliver a comprehensive approach to housing. In early 2022, Mayor Andre Dickens launched an Affordable Housing Strike Force by bringing 13 public agencies and civic entities into one unit under his Chief Housing Officer to unblock stalled housing projects. Some members directly shape housing supply, such as the public housing authority, while other members indirectly influence the housing system, such as Atlanta Public Schools and MARTA.
Together, the strike force has reformed housing systems, deployed new solutions, and begun reshaping how cities deliver housing supply.
The Impact:
- 14,000+ affordable housing units built or under construction in Atlanta as of summer 2026, keeping the city ahead of pace to reach its 20,000-unit goal
- $150 million of philanthropic funding unlocked as of summer 2026 to close gap financing for unstuck projects
What you can do with this idea:
- Build lasting cross-agency muscle for solving future housing congestion
- Increase developer trust and investments by creating more reliable and transparent review processes
- Coordinate land, funding, and infrastructure decisions
- Align more stakeholders across city, state, and local agencies regularly to clear barriers
- Develop a public dashboard to create accountability and visibility into the city’s progress toward its housing goals
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