Atlanta is trying out a new tool to keep neighborhoods affordable: zoning that requires developers to build lower cost units.
The City Council voted this week to apply the requirement, called inclusionary zoning, to neighborhoods near Mercedes Benz Stadium and the Atlanta BeltLine.
That means developers there now will have to dedicate a portion of their units to people making 60 to 80 percent of area median income.
Developers can choose between making 10 percent of units available to 60 percent area median income or 15 percent of units to 80 percent area median income.
Mayor Kasim Reed said Atlanta will be the first city in Georgia to attempt inclusionary zoning. Georgia law already prohibits rent control — that is, caps on how much landlords can raise rents.
