Results of housing-related questions from the 2023 Metro Atlanta Speaks survey--focus on affordability locally and regionally, as well as on policy perceptions

1. Metro Atlanta Speaks 2023
—Challenges in Housing
Jim Skinner
Data Analyst Administrator
Research & Analytics, ARC
jskinner@atlantaregional.org

2. Economy (as Problem) Resurgent…
2
3%
4%
6%
4%
4%
20%
7%
14%
14%
24%
5%
5%
5%
5%
6%
9%
9%
12%
17%
27%
12%
5%
5%
17%
5%
15%
8%
8%
16%
10%
4%
3%
6%
5%
4%
24%
11%
6%
27%
11%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%
Race Relations
DK
Taxes
Public Health
Other
Economy
Human Services
Public Education
Crime
Transportation
Biggest Problem Facing Residents in Metro--MAS Response Comparison 2023, Select Other Years
2023
2020
2017
2014

3. Housing (Un)Affordability a Major Issue
3
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree DK
"If I had to move right now, I could not afford to move to another
house or apartment in the neighborhood where I currently live." Do
you...
63%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree DK
"Low-wage workers employed by local businesses have no
problem finding affordable housing in my community." Do you
...
64%

4. Unaffordability Moving Elsewhere in N’Hood: County
4
"If I had to move right now, I could not afford to move
to another house or apartment in my neighborhood
area." Do you...
22.80%
29.60%
26.40%
30.70%
34.20%
33.30%
37.30%
37.50%
35.10%
34.10%
32.00%
36.50%
37.30%
26.30%
26.60%
31.60%
30.70%
28.70%
30.10%
26.30%
26.10%
29.60%
30.80%
34.00%
29.90%
29.60%
29.80%
27.50%
27.70%
24.30%
21.60%
21.60%
20.40%
23.90%
21.40%
19.10%
19.10%
23.40%
20.00%
18.40%
15.50%
12.60%
12.10%
13.20%
13.10%
14.50%
11.40%
12.10%
14.60%
12.60%
10.20%
12.00%
0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% 70.00% 80.00% 90.00% 100.00%
Fayette
Forsyth
Henry
Douglas
DeKalb
Metro Region
Cherokee
Rockdale
Fulton
Cobb
Gwinnett
Clayton
City of Atlanta
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree DK

5. Unaffordability Moving Elsewhere in MSA: County
5
18.60%
27.00%
25.10%
23.60%
26.70%
28.40%
27.20%
29.40%
27.60%
28.70%
28.30%
32.60%
33.90%
21.20%
23.60%
25.50%
27.90%
27.80%
26.20%
28.60%
27.80%
30.10%
30.50%
31.40%
30.30%
33.60%
36.30%
30.90%
32.00%
30.60%
27.10%
26.20%
27.30%
26.90%
24.10%
24.60%
23.40%
23.60%
23.40%
22.10%
17.60%
16.50%
15.80%
16.50%
16.30%
15.10%
14.50%
15.70%
14.10%
15.90%
12.40%
8.80%
0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% 70.00% 80.00% 90.00% 100.00%
Fayette
Forsyth
Henry
Fulton
Cherokee
Douglas
Metro Region
DeKalb
Cobb
Gwinnett
City of Atlanta
Rockdale
Clayton
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree DK
"If I had to move right now, I could not afford to move
to another house or apartment anywhere in the metro
Atlanta area." Do you...

6. Unaffordability Moving Elsewhere in MSA: Tenure
6
"If I had to move right now, I could not afford to move to another house
or apartment anywhere in the metro Atlanta area." Do you...
22.1%
34.4%
25.7%
33.0%
30.7%
22.3%
19.8%
8.4%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Homeowner
Renter
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree DK

7. Unaffordability Moving Elsewhere in MSA: Race/Eth
7
"If I had to move right now, I could not afford to move to another house
or apartment anywhere in the metro Atlanta area." Do you...
23.7%
27.9%
30.9%
29.9%
27.7%
26.2%
30.3%
32.3%
28.4%
28.9%
25.5%
25.2%
18.5%
13.6%
11.9%
11.5%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
White
Other
African American/ Black
Hispanic
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree DK

8. Low-Wage Workers Find Housing?: by County
8
Low-wage workers employed by local businesses
have no problem finding affordable housing in my
community." Do you...
2.6%
5.6%
9.3%
3.9%
6.8%
3.0%
7.1%
5.9%
7.2%
7.9%
6.2%
6.7%
11.6%
17.5%
15.3%
12.1%
17.6%
15.5%
19.5%
15.6%
16.9%
16.1%
15.7%
17.9%
21.1%
20.7%
36.0%
35.8%
30.1%
33.9%
32.0%
33.8%
28.4%
33.7%
31.2%
32.9%
34.4%
26.7%
26.7%
39.5%
39.5%
43.0%
41.2%
41.6%
39.8%
45.5%
39.2%
41.1%
40.0%
39.6%
42.2%
37.1%
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0%
Fayette
Gwinnett
Fulton
Forsyth
Metro Region
Henry
DeKalb
Cherokee
Cobb
Douglas
Clayton
Rockdale
City of Atlanta
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree DK

9. Best Policy Choice for Affordable Housing…
9
"Which of the following actions would be most desirable to make affordable
housing available in your community to a broad range of incomes?"
33.9%
33.9%
39.5%
41.3%
41.4%
42.0%
42.5%
42.7%
43.6%
43.8%
44.1%
44.3%
44.4%
17.9%
21.0%
22.2%
21.3%
20.5%
20.5%
21.6%
19.8%
24.9%
17.4%
16.5%
20.7%
23.3%
29.5%
28.8%
24.6%
21.2%
23.9%
23.5%
25.3%
25.0%
22.7%
24.3%
24.0%
20.7%
24.4%
8.9%
6.9%
6.9%
9.1%
7.4%
8.1%
5.3%
6.5%
5.9%
7.4%
6.3%
7.1%
3.3%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Fayette
Forsyth
Fulton
Cobb
11 Co ARC
DeKalb
City of Atlanta
Henry
Clayton
Gwinnett
Cherokee
Douglas
Rockdale
Increase public financing to incentivize developers to build at lower prices than normal Change local zoning ordinances to allow for more housing options
Identify suitable locations for multifamily housing DK

10. Best Land Use Choice for Future Growth…
10
"Future growth in the metro area should be focused...."
32.9%
32.5% 34.7%
41.6%
34.6% 38.3% 37.7%
39.9%
33.2%
30.5%
33.1% 33.6%
25.7%
43.1% 41.3% 38.1%
31.5%
37.4% 34.8%
32.9%
31.1%
36.0%
36.9%
30.7% 30.0%
35.4%
18.9% 19.0% 20.0%
21.3%
22.0% 22.6%
23.7%
24.2% 24.6%
27.9% 28.3% 29.3% 31.0%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
Fulton DeKalb Cobb Rockdale Metro Region Henry Gwinnett Clayton City of Atlanta Forsyth Cherokee Douglas Fayette
DNK In currently undeveloped or more rural areas. Along transportation corridors that link existing business centers In areas where businesses are already concentrated

11. Best Land Use Choice—Length of Residence
11
"Future growth in the metro area should be focused...."
17.80%
23.90% 21.60% 22.40% 23.10%
36.60%
29.80%
37.50%
42.60% 38.90%
40.20% 42.20%
36.90% 28.00%
30.20%
4.40% 3.10% 3.40%
5.40% 5.50%
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
100.00%
5 Years or Less 6-10 Years 11-20 Years 21-30 Years 31 Years or more
In areas where businesses are already concentrated Along transportation corridors that link existing business centers
In currently undeveloped or more rural areas. DNK