Kasim Reed calls for Fulton County to help address affordable housing

Mayor Kasim Reed called on Fulton County officials to do more to address a growing affordable housing problem in Atlanta.

In Thursday's annual State of the City speech, during which he discussed topics ranging from crime to wage equity, Reed urged Fulton County to follow the city's lead and require developers seeking taxpayer subsidies for residential projects to include affordable housing in their plans.

Speaking to reporters following the event, Reed was even more pointed, criticizing the Development Authority of Fulton County for using tax incentives for luxury apartments in communities like Buckhead — a market that he says doesn’t need the assistance.

The mayor questioned how anyone could justify using “city of Atlanta taxpayer money, to subsidize a deal that doesn’t allow one single ordinary person to live in a building that they helped finance. Fulton County has been doing this and it needs to come to a stop.”

To learn what Fulton development officials said about Reed's comments, visit myAJC.com.