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FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
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Exactly what does ANDP
do? |
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ANDP was established in
1991 to lead and coordinate community-based development throughout the
metropolitan area. ANDP advocates for and helps provide for
affordable, mixed income housing. We help make housing happen through
various kinds of loans for neighborhood rehabilitation and for new
developments in partnership with both the non-profit and private
sectors. ANDP works to bring affordability to market developments and
provide resources to underserved neighborhoods.
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Who owns ANDP? Is it
a public company? |
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ANDP is a private,
non-profit organization that depends upon a blend of funding to
support its work.
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Will ANDP give
me a grant to buy a house? |
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No, but we can put
you in touch with programs that will teach you how to save for a down
payment and prepare you to be a responsible and knowledgeable
homeowner.
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What is the difference in the terms
“mixed income”
and “affordable
housing?”
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Affordable Housing:
The ability of a person to afford to live near family, the workplace,
services and other locations of importance to them without having to
spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
Mixed Income: Communities, developments and neighborhoods where
there is a range of housing cost opportunities for different income
levels. In a mixed income community, grandparents on a fixed income
would be able to live in the same neighborhood as their grandchildren.
While these two terms are frequently used interchangeably, they are
not synonyms. A mixed income community provides affordable housing,
but affordable housing can exist outside of mixed income communities.
The term “mixed use” refers to a development that can include office
space, residential and retail. It doesn’t always mean the units are
affordable.
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Why does ANDP use so many
acronyms?
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Good question!
Because so many organizations and programs in the housing field have
long names, it is often more convenient, and space saving, to use the
acronym. All businesses use acronyms and company jargon - which they
try to limit in correspondence and communication with the public, but
sometimes it is difficult. For your convenience, ANDP has a
comprehensive list of acronyms we frequently use. It is available upon
request.
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Everyone has to live in
an apartment or house that they can afford. So, when you say
affordable housing aren’t you really talking about people on government
assistance and the working poor? |
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Not at all. In the
past ten years, housing costs have risen percentage wise faster than
the increase in salaries in the region. We now see people, like
teachers, fire fighters, bank tellers, administrative assistants, young
professionals, etc., who can’t afford a home close to their places of
employment. Yes, the working poor need affordable housing, but these
days people who are considered low-to-middle class are also struggling
to find affordable housing.
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I can understand why we need
affordable housing,
but why do we
need mixed income housing?
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Mixed income
communities are good for communities, fostering economic growth. The
economic health of an area should not rest solely on one industry or
income group. Mixed income communities help shorten commutes because
workers at a nearby business who are from different income levels can
all afford to live near their jobs. That helps traffic congestion, air
quality and gives people more time with their families. For example,
service workers, bank tellers or store clerks at an outlying mall
probably can’t afford housing near their jobs and there is no mass
transit to get them there. So, they have to rely on a car, which
raises their expenses and contributes to traffic problems. Mixed
income housing does not mean that there is a shack down the street
from a two story family home. There could be a structure that looks
exactly like the family home on the outside, but is actually a triplex
on the inside. Or there could be a slightly smaller single family home
that has less amenities.
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Does mixed
income housing bring
down property values and raise
crime rates? |
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No. There is no
evidence of an increase in crime resulting from mixed income housing.
Most people seeking affordable housing want nothing more than to
become part of a safe, secure community. Research has also shown that
affordable housing has no negative impact on the price of houses in
the area or the frequency of home sales in the area.
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ANDP seems anti-suburbs. What’s
wrong with
suburbs?
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There is nothing
“wrong” with suburbs and we are certainly not opposed to them. ANDP
and other housing experts have concerns about logistical problems
created by self-contained developments that do not have sidewalks,
have only one or two entrances and have no through streets that could
help
reduced traffic congestion on major roads. ANDP is concerned when
suburbs become urban sprawl and not communities or neighborhoods. Our
mission is about the choice to live wherever you choose with a mix of
housing options to choose from.
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I live in Forsyth County. Why should I care about
the “Atlanta” Neighborhood Development Partnership?
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ANDP is dedicated
to solving housing problems and supporting neighborhood and community
revitalization in the metropolitan Atlanta region, which now consists
of up to 24 counties. Look around at what is happening in your own
area. Urban sprawl is fast approaching the mountains beyond Dahlonega.
This affects air and water quality, traffic congestion and other
environmental issues. ANDP
and its partnership with other concerned, knowledgeable organizations
believes there are ways to provide decent, safe, affordable homes for
people without the necessity of having to commute farther and farther
distances from their jobs into once rural counties. The other fact is
that as your county grows, housing costs will go up and this may
affect your ability to afford to stay in your own town.
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I want to be a
private contractor. I
have never done that before, so will ANDP give
me a loan to build houses? |
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No. ANDP works only
with qualified, established contractors and developers who will
partner with us to build developments that include affordable, mixed
income components.
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How can my neighborhood get help?
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That depends on
what kind of help you need. If your neighborhood wants training,
information and/or education for residents on specific subject matter,
ANDP can provide or refer you to workshops, symposiums and roundtable
discussions to help. ANDP can also help you understand neighborhood
concerns such as predatory lending and gentrification.
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