Home ownership becoming reality for more AtlantansBy Adrienne Leon The dream of owning a home is now a reality for more Atlanta residents thanks to affordable housing programs and services from the Atlanta Development Authority, which recently celebrated its 500th closing.
The agency’s charge is to attract more residential, business and investment growth in the city – a challenging goal in today’s sluggish economy. ADA officials say they plan to weather the storm, however, and continue to create more homeowners in Atlanta. The ADA has provided down payment subsidies to homebuyers since 2007, officials said, with a goal of helping people live closer to their jobs and start building wealth. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said more Atlanta families should be able to own a home, regardless of their income level. “All great cities must have a balanced mix of housing stock for all income levels,” Reed said. “Through the ADA, other city departments and various partnerships, the city of Atlanta works hard to provide mortgage programs and products to average working families so they can afford to live near their jobs. “I am thrilled to welcome so many families to the city,” he added. “We are directly stimulating the local housing market,” said Dawn Luke, interim director for the Housing Finance Department at ADA. “Without the city’s investments in affordable housing, there would likely have been $80 million less in residential real estate closings in the past three years.” While the maximum household income limit is $82,000 – allowing seasoned public servants, teachers, retail managers and nurses access to the program – the average household income of program participants is $46,600, Luke said. The average sales price of a home is $157,880, she said, and with the down payment subsidy, the typical homebuyer’s monthly mortgage payment – including taxes and insurance – is about $974 per month. The city has doled out more than $9.3 million in housing subsidies and leveraged more than $80 million in private investment for the initiative, officials said. Affordable housing closings are occurring in all quadrants of the city, they say, including the 24 closings along the Atlanta Belt Line. Construction to the Belt Line is underway in many parts of the city, creating a demand for homes in its vicinity. Officials expect the coming amenities of parks, trails and mass transit to add to the quality of life for nearby residents. Money for the initiative comes from city’s Housing Opportunity Bond issue of 2007, the Belt Line tax allocation district bond issues of 2008 and 2009, the Vine City Trust Fund, and the federal housing department.
Elegance At Eighty! Dr. Alyce M. Ware Celebrates 80 Years of Life and ServiceBy Serena Davis
The family of Dr. Alyce Martin Ware recently honored her with an elegant celebration of her 80th Birthday, on her birthday. More than 200 of her family and friends were invited to reflect and reminisce of the decades of her outstanding service throughout the entire Metropolitan Atlanta area. Guests were entertained with trivia and prizes from the 1930’s. Proclamations were presented from Fulton County Commissioner Emma Darnell and Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell. Dr. Alyce Martin Ware has a rich background in education and business, and it has made her an invaluable resource and advisor to many of all walks of life including, students, administrators and civic, community, corporate and political leaders. For more than three decades, Dr. Ware has distinguished herself as a committed and consummate educator, including serving as a pioneering practitioner in the field of homebound education, and including, prior to her retirement from the Atlanta Public Schools System (APS), teaching in the Marengo County and DeKalb County schools systems. Dr. Ware continues to remain active in the communities in which she serves, such as a current member of the Board of Directors of SUMMECH Community Development Corporation, Quality Living Services, Inc. and Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) Board of Trustees. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and an active member of Christian Fellowship Baptist Church. Alyce Ware is a past member of the APS Civil Service Board. Alyce Martin Ware, a devoted and faithful wife, supported her late husband, J. Lowell Ware, in all his business endeavors, including SUMMECH Community Development Corporation, now celebrating 20 years of continuous service and The Atlanta Voice Newspaper, now celebrating 45 years of continuous service as the Voice of the People. She is a supportive and loving mother to Dr. Rhonda Ware-Brazier, who followed her mother into the field of education, and Janis L. Ware, who has succeeded her father as Publisher of The Atlanta Voice Newspaper, Executive Director of SUMMECH CDC and his many business developments and endeavors. Dr. Alyce M. Ware is a very happy and loving Grandmother to three wonderful and outstanding grandchildren, and a warm and caring Great Grandmother to five beautiful great-grandchildren, and she loves her two sisters, Jeanetta Scott and Dorothy Emmett. Although she has retired, her days are filled with many activities such as playing bridge, playing golf, ballroom and line dancing, crocheting, taking computer and technology courses, aerobics and travelling to five of the seven continents. |
|
