Westside Future Fund (WFF) touted its 2022 achievements at the first Transform Westside Summit of the year on Friday, January 20. After the Summit, WFF was featured in the SaportaReport (January 23) as an organization that successfully balances revitalizing communities with ensuring affordability for legacy residents. Read the story: https://tinyurl.com/WFFOffersLessons

Good News for the Westside

Community members and business leaders gathered to hear more about the mobilization of more than 700 individual volunteers across several projects throughout the year and progress toward a goal of developing or financing 800 affordable units in the community. So far, the organization has 219 units in service, 153 in development and another 304 planned for development – for a total of 676 units toward the 800 unit goal.

Panelists also highlighted the 970 Jefferson Street partnership with the Food Well Alliance and the growth of the Home on the Westside program.

Event Highlights

Westside Future Fund panelists included: Tameka Askew, Home on the Westside Manager; Rachel Carey, Chief Real Estate Officer; Charles Forde, Director of Project Finance; Raquel Hudson, Director of Programs; and Derrick Jordan, Real Estate Development Contractor.

Darryl Lesure, Senior Principal Lead at Chick-fil-A Corporate, kicked off the event by leading devotion and moderators Ebony Ford and Benjamin Early invited new members of the crowd to introduce themselves.

The moderators then took a moment to honor the late Yolanda Owens. Known as The Skincare Chef, Owens was loved and admired by the Westside community that she called home. In 2003, Owens launched Iwi Fresh, a holistic skincare business, and she opened her first brick and mortar location in the Castleberry Hill neighborhood in 2010.

Transforming Our Summits

Beginning in February, the organization will host the Transform Westside Summit on the third Friday of each month from 7:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. The Summit, which began in 2016 as the brainchild of Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy, was created to foster community fellowship and networking.

“We hope that starting later and hosting fewer meetings each month will help us maintain a high rate of engagement among Westside residents and community supporters,” said Ahmann. “More than 10,000 people have attended our Summits over the years, and we hope more people will find value in the information we continue to share.”

Couldn’t attend the event? Watch the full Transform Westside Summit on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mByhV3qQDkA

Revitalizing the Westside is a team effort, one that relies heavily on the support of our many incredible volunteers. To thank them for their hard work and dedication, we will shine a light on people who actively support our mission.

This month, we recognize Rani Shrivastava. A few years ago, Rani embarked on a personal mission to collect books for Westside children and families – all out of the kindness of her heart and a drive to make a difference. See how Rani started volunteering with us.

Q: How did you first hear about the Westside Future Fund?

A: I was talking with my mother about wanting to support schools in Atlanta, but I didn’t know what to do. Later that same day, my mother’s friend mentioned that Westside Future Fund may be a good place to get involved. I went to the website and found what I was looking for – an organization that could help children’s education in my hometown.

Q: What is your favorite part of serving with the WFF Volunteer Corp?

A: Being able to serve my community is my favorite part of working with the WFF Volunteer Corp. WFF is so well organized and impactful here in Atlanta. Helping  build my community is such a rewarding experience and observing the impact my efforts have made make it all the better.

Q: What inspires you about this service opportunity?

A:  Reading has always been a passion of mine, and that gave me the idea to collect books and donate them to WFF. I was happy to foster a child’s love for reading. I collected books ranging from picture books to chapter books and novels, too.

Q: What do you want others to know about the Westside Future Fund and why it’s so important?

A: WFF is invigorating a large part of our Atlanta metro community. So many Atlantans are proud to be associated with Dr. King, and WFF helps make Atlanta a city he would be proud of.

 

This past holiday season was something special for Steven, Jarrett, and Mila. In the final month of 2022, the three became new homeowners when they closed on Westside Future Fund (WFF) homes in English Avenue.

Each celebrated their closings with a ceremonious contract signing alongside members of the WFF team.

The purchases were made possible by the Home on the Westside program, an initiative to promote community retention by providing financing support to help lower the cost of homeownership.

Two of the homes can be found on Proctor Street just a quick walk across the street from Kathryn Johnston Memorial Park. The third home is a few blocks away on Meldrum Street on what  was formerly blighted, vacant land.

We are looking forward to even more closings in 2023. This month, another new single-family homeowner will be celebrating with a closing, and construction on five more properties will be complete in the first quarter.

It doesn’t stop there. Over the next six months, we will have ribbon cutting ceremonies for the completion of four different multi-family property renovations that were formerly blighted and vacant. These additions will bring a total of 33 rental units to our Home on the Westside program.

We look forward to a year of celebrations on the Westside.

After decades of neglect in English Avenue, a cluster of multi-family housing properties are finding new life. Just a block from Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway at the corner of Echo Street and Fox Street, Westside Future Fund acquired three multi-family housing complexes and is now renovating them as affordable housing units.

Two of the buildings were tenant occupied at purchase, and the third building was in desperate need of repair. Those repairs are underway and the building is currently in the framing stage. Once complete, it will house seven new units in addition to the 23 units in the existing two buildings – made possible thanks to acquisition and renovation financing funding from the WFF Impact Fund, charitable donors, and Invest Atlanta for providing the acquisition and renovation financing funding.

WFF has hired oaksATL as the contractor for this rebuild. Founded in 2016, oaksATL is a local Westside non-profit organization dedicated to combating community deterioration.

With increasing property development in the immediate area, the cost to rent a one-bedroom unit in the surrounding market starts at approximately $1,800 per month, well above the cost of rent two decades ago. The rising costs of housing in the new developments has trickled down to existing homes, with many legacy residents seeing their rent increasing to unaffordable amounts.

WFF is offering units in their newly renovated multi-family housing complexes for as low as $700 per month through the Home on the Westside program, a community retention initiative that prioritizes residents with a live, learn or work connection to the community.

WFF has a strong commitment to affordability to support legacy residents, utilizing raised charitable funds and a partnership with Atlanta Housing Authority to subsidize rent.

Multi-Family Projects in the Mix

Derrick Jordan, Westside resident and real estate development consultant at WFF, helps to guide the organization’s multi-family development projects to completion. For him, the role WFF plays in maintaining the fabric of the community is essential.

“Because of high-priced housing coming into the neighborhood and surrounding areas, we offer stability for legacy families who want to remain in the community,” said Jordan. “And the work we’re doing with new construction and rehabilitation is centered around successful community nodes that provide livable resources and potential employment.”

The Echo Street project is one of many multi-family development projects WFF that is slated for completion this year The initiative to produce quality, affordable multi-family housing throughout Vine City and English Avenue is a direct result of the Land Use Framing Plan developed and sponsored by the City of Atlanta and WFF and codified by the Atlanta City Council four years ago.

According to Jordan, “The plan was formed through a lot of community input and citizen participation. People came to the meetings and said ‘hey, this is what we want our community to look like.’ Affordable housing was laid out as one of the principal things the neighborhood needs, so we’ve been buying and rehabbing affordable homes in accordance with the plan the community helped create.”

There are currently 181 multi-family housing units in service thanks to WFF developments, and there are an additional 273 units either under construction or planned for construction in the near future that will also count against Mayor Dickens’ goal of 20,000 affordable units.

“The stability these projects bring to the community members is critical to preserving the fabric of who these communities are,” said Jordan.

“Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

More than 900 volunteers gathered to celebrate the legacy and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the community. The MLK Day of Service brought together those who are committed to the mission of Westside Future Fund (WFF) – to revitalize the historic Westside and build a community that Dr. King would be proud to call home.

Our volunteer corps facilitated eight service projects throughout the historic Westside neighborhoods served by WFF including schools, museums, and community resource centers. Volunteers completed tasks like organizing, painting, cleaning, planting and repairing. Their efforts helped beautify and breathe life into each space while also building community with each other.

Dr. King lived and learned on the Westside. He attended Booker T. Washington High School (Ashview Heights Neighborhood), and he graduated from Morehouse College (AUC Neighborhood). In 1965, he and his wife purchased 234 Sunset Avenue in historic Vine City where his family lived for years after his death in 1968.

Atlanta is the birthplace of Dr. King and numerous other Civil Rights Movement luminaries who lived and learned in Atlanta, such as Reverend Joseph Lowery, Hosea Williams, Xernona Clayton, Ralph David Abernathy and Dorothy Bolden, who shared his dream for equality and opportunity for all.

Thank you to our 800+ volunteers who helped us honor Dr. King’s service legacy.

As part of Home on the Westside this year, Westside Future Fund placed several families in affordable rental single-family homes in historic English Avenue.

Ladonna Jackson has been in her home for two years, and having a place to call her own feels even more special during the holiday season.

“When we first were told we have a 4 bedroom/4 bath house, we danced the whole night away. We are truly blessed after being homeless for 10 years. We have been in our home since 2019, and it still feels like we just moved in. Part of the holiday fun is decorating our home together. God is truly amazing and we owe it all to Him. Thanks Westside Future Fund for allowing us to live in this home. From our family to yours, Happy Holidays!”

Monnica Taylor joins Ladonna Jackson in English Avenue and says, “Our home has always been our happy place as long as we have each other. However, this year it is on a different level. I have dreamed about good things happening to people –  and my dreams are really coming true! Christmas is our absolute favorite holiday and we’ve enjoyed putting our decorations up. We will never forget the kindness and support that have been shown to each of us. Everyone involved has my family’s deepest thanks.”

We are grateful for the success we’ve had this year, and we’re hopeful about new opportunities in 2023. When you give to Westside Future Fund this holiday season, you’re helping us support community retention and empowering legacy residents with access to quality, affordable housing to rent, buy or retain.

Donor opportunities for 2023:

220 Sunset Avenue: Once home to Reverend Maynard Jackson, Sr., and his family, this home was once part of a thriving middle class Black neighborhood, but years of neglect have left it in desperate need of repair. To ensure that the bountiful history of the property is preserved, Westside Future Fund is moving forward with extensive restoration work and will have the property added to the National Register of Historic Places. Once completed, the reimagined property will serve as affordable housing for researchers and graduate students who are affiliated with the Atlanta University Center.It will stand as a landmark for years to come.

Yellow Store: The Yellow Store at 500 James P. Brawley Drive NW stands as a reminder of the corridor’s commercial past, and it will be restored by Westside Future Fund to serve the neighborhood for generations to come. Your gift will help us offer entrepreneurs the chance to apply their vision to a unique historical building at a vital intersection within the English Avenue community.

By supporting Home on the Westside, you are:

• Helping disrupt the displacement of legacy homeowners due to rising property taxes via the Anti-Displacement Tax Fund 
• Removing blight: WFF targets the purchase of vacant, overgrown lots or abandoned homes for redevelopment. We need financial support to help clear the lots, keep them maintained, and properly secure vacant homes until they can be redeveloped.

Your Giving Matters

We’re breaking ground next year in English Avenue on three new multifamily properties that will add 83 rental units for our Home on the Westside program.

We’re also hosting five ribbon cuttings in 2023 on five renovated multifamily properties in English Avenue, adding 33 rental units to Home on the Westside.

We’ll invite you to join our future celebrations, so look for details in our newsletter and social media channels!

There’s no gift quite like the gift of home!

We congratulate Home on the Westside’s latest homeowners, Steven, Dorojen, DiAuna, and Mila – four families with connections to the neighborhood moving into quality, affordable single-family homes developed by WFF in historic English Avenue. They are all excited to close on homes as part of their holiday celebrations!

Developed on formerly blighted, vacant land, you can find one of our newest homes on Meldrum Street. It is a two-story, three bedroom, 2.5 bath home with a porch. Head a few blocks southwest to Proctor Street, and you’ll find three new two-story homes, each with two bedrooms and 1.5 baths. They are just across the street from Kathryn Johnston Memorial Park.

As these four new homeowners celebrate new beginnings, we remain committed to help Westside residents live in the place they love by connecting them with the right housing support and strengthening the community they call home.

Our mission to revitalize the Westside is powered by the giving hearts of our amazing volunteers throughout the year. This month, we honor Thomas McCarron, a committed member of the Westside Future Fund (WFF) Volunteer Corps. See what inspires him to help us make a difference in the community.

Q: How did you first hear about the Westside Future Fund?

A: Several years ago, I became involved with Gilgal Women’s shelter through the Adult Mission Ministry of my church. This was my first experience of close engagement with homelessness and addiction issues in our city. It was so impactful to me to witness the journey of life and recovery in these women that it became a personal commitment to volunteer in Atlanta’s Westside. Subsequent engagement with City of Refuge led me to an introduction to John Ahmann and Westside Future Fund.

Q: What is your favorite part of serving with the WFF Volunteer Corp?

A: I so enjoy the mission and camaraderie of the WFF team members. Everyone has a similar passion for service and giving to others. Equal to that is the genuine gratitude of our Westside residents for the assistance in all aspects that WFF provides. From serving meals  and neighborhood cleanups to the extensive social support of WFF, I have always experienced kindness and a wonderful spirit from those that we serve.

Q: What inspires you about this service opportunity?

A: My inspiration is driven by a personal calling of giving to others. It is so true that in giving, we receive so much more. Every time I come to the Westside community, I feel a sense of pride for our residents and for our city as a whole. Incredible progress is being made to improve lives and services throughout the community.

Q: What do you want others to know about the WFFand why it’s so important?

A: The sheer number of services that WFF provides to residents astounds me. I view WFF as a passionate group of experts in coordinating all aspects of social improvement throughout the community. Wherever a person’s talents or interests lie, Westside Future Fund provides limitless opportunity to learn, engage and contribute to all areas of improvement in one of our most beloved and historical communities.

The Westside has a rich legacy of historic homes and heartfelt stories on every block, and 220 Sunset Avenue in Vine City is a prime example. Once home to Reverend Maynard Jackson, Sr., and his family, this home was once part of a thriving middle class Black neighborhood, but years of neglect have left it in desperate need of repair.

Thanks to Westside Future Fund, the five-unit building, purchased from The King Center in January 2020, will be revitalized in the coming months, and it will be added to the National Register of Historic Places. Learn more about the famous family who once called this place home.

Built in 1949, Reverend Maynard Jackson Sr, the family patriarch, chose this location to build his family’s home because of the neighborhood’s reputation as a nice middle class Black neighborhood.

The Jackson family lived in apartment three on the second floor and he used the third floor apartment as his office. The two first floor units were rented out to generate additional income.

Jackson Sr. was the preacher at Friendship Baptist Church from the mid-1940s, and he quickly became a community leader and advocated for increased political participation of Black families and Black children living in poverty – and his family followed suit.

History Makers

Just a few years after his passing in 1953, his wife, Dr. Irene Dobbs Jackson, daughter of John Wesley Dobbs, made history.

In 1959, Dr. Jackson returned from Paris where she had been using her skills as a Spelman College French professor to enjoy the nation’s history, including reading literature at the French public libraries.

While in France, she was able to access any public library she wanted, but when she got back to Atlanta, she faced the harsh reality that the local library system remained segregated.

Dr. Jackson was determined to be the difference, so she decided to apply for a library card at the main branch. Within just a few days, her application was approved, and Dr. Irene Jackson was the first Black person in the city’s history to be issued a public library card.

Model Leadership

Watching his father and mother’s leadership in the Black community, Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr. inherited a passion for the fight for equality.

From his earliest days on Sunset Avenue into his adulthood, Maynard was a champion for the Black community. After years of community leadership, he was elected as Atlanta’s first Black mayor in 1973.

The Jackson family would eventually sell their home in 1969, but its historical significance grew. In 1970, the home was purchased by Southern Rural Action Incorporated and it was used to house visiting scholars who came to see The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, an organization begun by Coretta Scott King, wife of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Preserving the Past

To ensure that the bountiful history of the property is preserved, Westside Future Fund is moving forward with extensive restoration work and will have the property added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Once completed, the reimagined property will serve as affordable housing for researchers and graduate students who are affiliated with the Atlanta University Center, and it will stand as a landmark for years to come.