Take 8 acres of cleared land south of downtown Atlanta. Add nearly 1,000 volunteers on an intense work schedule. And voilà—two dozen new housing options can rise in the span of a single workweek. 

For the first time since 1988, the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project returned to Atlanta last week to mark its 40th anniversary. 

The result was 24 new homes erected in five days, rising on a former saw-blade manufacturing facility’s property purchase by nonprofit homebuilder Atlanta Habitat for Humanity in 2015. 

The new infill community, Langston Park, is aiming to help ease Atlanta’s affordable-housing crunch in Sylvan Hills, a historic neighborhood that sprung up a century ago following World War I. It includes walking trails and communal greenspaces. 

As shown last week, a Langston Park duplex underway at the Carter Work Project 2026. Courtesy of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity

A row of single-family homes erected along Langston Avenue, with communal pathways behind them. Courtesy of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity

Relatively dense by Atlanta Habitat standards, the project is claiming the cleared site at 1579 Langston Ave. on the neighborhood’s western rim, south of MARTA’s Oakland City station and the Beltline’s Westside Trail. 

Langston Park marks the first time in Atlanta Habitat’s four-decade history that a building project includes townhomes and duplexes, as opposed to exclusively single-family housing. Site work and duplex construction began last year, while rapid development of the bulk of remaining homes took place between May 3rd and 8th. 

Would-be Habitat homeowners are required to apply for a selection process—but it’s at capacity right now and currently closed, per the organization. 

Aspiring Homeowners who are picked must complete 250 hours of “sweat equity” work with Habitat and finish 17 financial education and home-maintenance courses. 

The payout is a 30-year mortgage with 0 percent interest on a below-market-rate home that the applicant helped build, per Atlanta Habitat officials. 

Prices for Langston Park homes haven’t been specified, but all homeowners will be required to pay monthly mortgages based on their incomes. Homes in Langston Park will reportedly cost about $200,000 each to build. 

Rendering of a completed, Langston Park townhome-style structure with two residences.Courtesy of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity

Overview of foundations and site work at the 1579 Langston Ave. property prior to the 40th annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project. Courtesy of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity

Langston Park will mark Atlanta Habitat’s second master-planned development in Sylvan Hills. It’s described as being high-density, with plans for 40 townhomes, 18 duplexes, and 10 single-family homes to rise across the site eventually.  

The goal, according to Atlanta Habitat officials, is to expand affordable homeownership with a diverse, modern, and space-efficient mix of housing solutions. The townhomes will stand two or three stories, with either three or four bedrooms. 

The organization estimates it has made a $32-million impact on affordable housing throughout the city and South Fulton County since 2022 alone, becoming “one of the largest and most consistent investors and builders in Atlanta’s legacy neighborhoods.” 

Courtesy of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity

Overview of the full site plan for Langston Park in Sylvan Hills, with a mix of home sizes alongside greenspace, water features, and walking paths. Courtesy of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity

The Langston Park site is also a few blocks from the section of Fort McPherson where large-scale, mixed-use redevelopment is planned to be public-accessible—and a potential boon for the area—though timelines there remain unclear.

Find more images and context in the gallery above. And see photos of all 24 new houses and the volunteer teams for each project right here. 

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