Southwest of downtown, an ambitious residential venture is aiming to take a bite out of Atlanta’s affordable-housing crunch in less than a week. 

Nonprofit homebuilder Atlanta Habitat for Humanity took a key step this week toward a goal of building 24 homes in just five days next year in Sylvan Hills, a historic neighborhood that sprung up a century ago following World War I. 

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

The 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. 

Courtesy of Atlanta Habitat

Langston Park's 1579 Langston Ave. location in Sylvan Hills. Google Maps

Langston Park will mark the first time in Atlanta Habitat’s 42-year history that a building project includes townhomes and duplexes, as opposed to exclusively single-family housing. Site work has begun on sections of the project, and two duplexes are standing today. 

Rapid construction of the two dozen new dwellings is scheduled to take place between May 3 and 8 next year. 

The Sylvan Hills initiative will mark the 40th annual Jimmy + Rosalynn Carter Work Project, or CWP. As part of the process, Austin Habitat for Humanity (which hosted the most recent CWP in Texas) handed a ceremonial “golden hammer” off to Atlanta officials on Wednesday at the Langston Park site. 

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. 

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. Price ranges for future Langston Park housing haven't been specified. 

Overview of the vacant site prior to clearing, with MARTA rail and Murphy Avenue shown at left. Google Maps

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.  

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.” 

...

Follow us on social media: 

Twitter / Facebook/and now: Instagram  

• Sylvan Hills news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)