For generations, families in Atlanta Beltline communities have watched the streets around them change while wondering if there would still be a place for them to call home. And for the teachers, firefighters and city employees who serve those same neighborhoods, homeownership near the places they work has often felt out of reach.

Invest Atlanta and Atlanta Beltline, Inc. are working to change that story with the launch of the Atlanta Beltline Mortgage Assistance Program, a new downpayment assistance program designed for legacy residents and public sector employees.

Funded through Atlanta Beltline, Inc.’s affordable housing budget and administered by Invest Atlanta, the Atlanta Beltline Mortgage Assistance Program will operate alongside Invest Atlanta’s existing downpayment assistance programs, giving homebuyers in neighborhoods adjacent to the Beltline an additional resource tailored to the Beltline’s geography and affordability goals.

“The Beltline Mortgage Assistance Program reflects the City’s commitment to protecting housing affordability and legacy neighborhoods,” says Mayor Andre Dickens, board chair at Invest Atlanta and board member at Atlanta Beltline, Inc. “By removing the financial barriers that so often prevent residents from remaining in their communities or hinder potential buyers from taking the first step toward purchasing a home, we can achieve community-centered development that includes putting the dream of homeownership within reach for more Atlantans.”

Through the program, eligible long-term residents and public sector employees may receive up to $30,000 in assistance while other qualified homebuyers may receive up to $20,000 to purchase homes within the Beltline Tax Allocation District (TAD) on the south and west sides of the city. Funds can be used for everything from down payments and closing costs to permanent interest rate buydowns, principal reduction or any combination of these expenses.

“Homeownership is one of the most powerful tools we have for building generational wealth, and for too long, rising costs along the Beltline have pushed that opportunity further out of reach for the very residents and public servants who make these neighborhoods thrive,” says Dr. Eloisa Klementich, president and CEO of Invest Atlanta.

The Invest Atlanta Downpayment Assistance Program has provided more than $13 million to over 650 homebuyers. The Beltline Mortgage Assistance Program will further expand that assistance and create meaningful opportunity for the people who have lived in and served Beltline communities long before new development began escalating property values. What’s more, the program also advances the Beltline’s affordable housing work beyond creating and preserving rental housing to increasing access to homeownership.

“The Atlanta Beltline is for all Atlantans, and that’s why we like to call it ‘the People’s Project,’” says Clyde Higgs, president and CEO of Atlanta Beltline, Inc. “Affordable housing has always been central to the Atlanta Beltline mission, and homeownership is one of the most meaningful ways families build stability and generational wealth. This program helps ensure that long-time residents and the public servants who serve these neighborhoods have a real opportunity to own a home and share in the Beltline's success.”

Prospective home buyers interested in learning more about eligibility and how to apply can visit Homebuyer Programs & Downpayment Assistance.