Supportive Housing Ordinance

March 30, 2009

On March 26th, 2009 the Zoning Review Board voted to approve the Supportive Housing Ordinance (Z-08-48). The ordinance basically grants supportive housing operators the ability to operate without a special use permit, and therefore abolishing the vote by the NPU required to open a facility. This ordinance will grant the operators the ability to still operate with special uses – such as higher occupancy rates.

The NPUs have not been engaged in the process, and at the hearing not one resident or homeowner spoke in favor of the ordinance. The proponents were all developers and people who stand to gain financially by easing up the rules.

The ordinance will grant all the power to the Mayor’s office through a certification process. The certification requirements they were presenting at the hearing were less than a page long. It will without a doubt be exploited.

Please take a moment and fill out the form on www.npuvoice.org to contact your councilmember. They need to hear from you on this matter! And please pass this on to anyone else you know that lives in the City of Atlanta.

Also, please note that everybody is in favor of having some type of supportive housing. This isn’t a battle against the homeless. It is a battle to make sure the NPUs and you continue to have a voice.

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