At Sandy Springs Together, we frequently receive letters from residents who are being priced out of Sandy Springs, after trying desperately to remain in their homes.
We wanted to share two of those stories with you today. The first is from a homeowner, Cathy, and the second is from a renter, Sandra. What you will learn from both of these stories is that the affordable housing crisis is real.
Cathy
Cathy is 50 years old and has lived in Sandy Springs for almost 20 years. Her property taxes went up 85%, leaving her unable to afford to live here any longer. As a result, she was forced to sell her home and move away from Sandy Springs.
She wrote to us saying she was a single mother, “who had lived in Sandy Springs for 18 years, who had raised a family there, who was involved in numerous activities supporting the community, and who was a teacher.”
Cathy asked, “wasn’t there a way to support me to stay in my family home by giving me some tax relief? The answer was no. They were not interested in what I brought to the community, only what my home was worth on the market and if I paid enough taxes. At that moment, I felt shocked, invisible, and disenfranchised from Sandy Springs. I realized that the place I moved into all those years ago was not the place I thought it was.”
We know that Cathy isn’t alone in this struggle. She’s why we are fighting this fight.
Sandra Woods
“I pray that affordable housing will become real in the beautiful city of Sandy Springs!
I became homeless and had to leave Sandy Springs last August. Four of my five children graduated high school, one from North Springs and three from RIverwood. I struggled the whole time, but I did it long enough for my children to finish school there living in apartments.
I want to purchase a home there one day. Now I’m waiting to come back so I can make Sandy Springs my home again. I’m 50 years old and I’m ready to settle down and get back to work. So I am supporting affordable housing in Sandy Springs.”
Like Cathy, we know that Sandra isn’t the only person who’s been forced out of Sandy Springs that would like to one day return. The only way we get there is through real investment in affordable housing.
All in all, housing affordability can only be accomplished if our community comes together and tells their elected officials, at all levels, that they want housing that meets the income levels of all residents.
Join us as we make the case for more affordable housing. Other cities are doing this, and we can too!
