Stone Hogan Opens 448 Senior and Family Homes in Atlanta

Atlanta Housing and its development partners have opened The Flats and Villas at Stone Hogan, bringing 448 apartments to the Greenbriar neighborhood in southwest Atlanta.

The development transformed a long-vacant site into two connected residential communities:

• The Villas at Stone Hogan contains 192 senior apartments; and

• The Flats at Stone Hogan contains 256 family apartments with one to three bedrooms.

Atlanta Housing celebrated the opening on September 11 and announced that construction had been completed approximately one year ahead of schedule.

Senior and Family Housing Share One Community

The Stone Hogan development was designed to accommodate residents at different stages of life.

The Villas provides 192 senior-friendly apartments. The buildings include elevators, accessible common areas and green spaces intended to support mobility, comfort and independent living.

The Flats provides 256 apartments for families. Available floor plans range from one to three bedrooms.

Connecting the two properties allows the larger development to serve older adults, individuals and families with children without placing every household into the same building type.

Atlanta Housing describes all 448 homes in its current announcement as affordable.

An earlier Invest Atlanta financing record for The Flats listed 228 income-restricted apartments and 28 market-rate apartments. That original distribution included 75 apartments at 50% of area median income, 78 at 60% AMI and 75 at 70% AMI.

The current announcement does not explain whether the 28 apartments originally identified as market-rate were subsequently placed under affordability restrictions. Owners and prospective residents should rely on the final recorded restrictions and current leasing materials for the controlling unit mix.

A Long-Vacant Property Returns to Use

Before redevelopment, the Greenbriar parcel had remained vacant for years.

Stone Hogan replaces that unused land with housing, landscaped outdoor areas and resident services near Greenbriar Mall and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The project was developed by Zimmerman Properties & Construction in partnership with Atlanta Housing. Dynamik Design served as architect, Summit Contracting Group was the general contractor and Wilhoit Properties manages the completed community.

Capital support came from Invest Atlanta, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, Raymond James, ATEP, KeyBank and Bank of America.

Invest Atlanta previously approved $29.5 million in tax-exempt financing for construction of the 256-unit family phase.

According to Atlanta officials, more than $75 million has been invested in the surrounding Greenbriar neighborhood through the broader public-private effort.

Construction Finished One Year Early

Delivering a 448-home affordable development one year ahead of schedule is significant in a market where projects regularly encounter financing, material, labor and permitting delays.

The result reflects the scale of coordination required among the housing authority, developers, contractors, financial institutions and state and local agencies.

Early completion can reduce construction-period interest, general conditions and other carrying costs. It can also allow residents to occupy apartments sooner.

However, the announcement did not provide a final development budget or quantify the savings associated with early completion.

Affordable-housing organizations evaluating the project should therefore separate the verified schedule result from any estimate of financial savings.

Stone Hogan Supported Construction Training

The development also served as a training site through Atlanta Housing’s partnership with the Georgia Building Trades Academy YouthBuild program.

YouthBuild connects young adults and other low-income participants with education, employment preparation and construction experience.

Over an 11-month period, 15 participants - including several Atlanta Housing residents - received direct exposure to work at the Stone Hogan construction site.

Participants observed or gained experience involving construction operations and building trades. The program also included exposure to project management, estimating, administration and executive leadership at Summit Contracting Group.

Using an affordable-housing development as a training site can extend the project’s economic impact beyond the completed apartments.

For that impact to be measurable, agencies should track whether participants earn credentials, enter apprenticeships, secure employment and remain in the construction industry.

Resident Services Extend Beyond Housing

Stone Hogan residents are expected to have access to services through partnerships with Star-C, Emory University, Morehouse College and local healthcare providers.

Planned resources include:

• Free health screenings;

• Nutrition classes;

• After-school programming; and

• Community gardens.

The service model recognizes that housing stability is connected to health, education and family support.

The effectiveness of those programs will depend on continued funding, resident participation and reliable delivery after the opening ceremony.

Property operators should identify which organization is responsible for each service, how frequently it will be offered and whether participation outcomes will be reported.

The Development Advances Atlanta’s Production Goal

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has established a goal of building or preserving 20,000 affordable homes.

Atlanta Housing presents Stone Hogan’s 448 apartments as part of that broader effort and as an example of directing housing investment into south and west Atlanta.

Atlanta Housing is Georgia’s largest housing authority. It provides or facilitates housing assistance for nearly 27,000 low-income households representing approximately 43,000 people.

Its programs include authority-owned housing, tenant-based vouchers, project-based assistance, supportive housing and homeownership support.

The size of Stone Hogan makes it a meaningful addition, but its long-term contribution will depend on the duration and enforcement of the property’s affordability restrictions.

What Owners Should Track After Opening

A ribbon cutting marks the end of construction, not the end of compliance.

Stone Hogan’s owners and operators must now maintain the property in accordance with the requirements attached to its financing and rental restrictions.

That work includes:

• Certifying household income;

• Applying the correct rent and utility limits;

• Maintaining documentation for restricted apartments;

• Completing required inspections;

• Managing accessible features;

• Monitoring resident-service commitments;

• Tracking occupancy and turnover;

• Maintaining building systems and grounds; and

• Reporting to lenders, investors and public agencies.

The distinction between senior and family housing also creates different operating considerations.

The Villas must maintain the applicable age restrictions while complying with fair-housing and accessibility requirements. The Flats must manage a wider range of household sizes and bedroom configurations.

The Bottom Line

The Flats and Villas at Stone Hogan have opened with 448 apartments on a previously vacant site in southwest Atlanta.

The completed community includes 192 senior apartments and 256 family apartments and was delivered approximately one year ahead of schedule.

Atlanta Housing currently characterizes the entire development as affordable. Earlier public financing records, however, listed 28 apartments in the family phase as market-rate. The final regulatory agreements and current leasing records should determine the controlling classification.

Beyond housing production, Stone Hogan provides resident services and served as a construction-training location for 15 YouthBuild participants.

The project’s long-term success will be measured by sustained affordability, physical performance, resident stability and whether its education, health and workforce partnerships continue after lease-up.