The taskforce put a number of recommendations before the Decatur City Commission. One of those recommendations was allowing voluntary tax abatement for landlords who promise to make sure that their rent levels remain affordable over a five-year period. Ensuring that the homes already in the area remain affordable in the future is very important to the task force.
While referring to a report which showed that 900 affordable units are currently in the area’s rental market, Tom Atkinson from the task force’s committee said:
“A lot of this is what we are seeing torn down and turned into million-dollar townhomes. We want a chance to preserve those, keep them affordable and maybe renovate those into long-term affordability.”
The task force also hopes to make it difficult to tear down old multifamily units located in the RS-17 districts. Many large units are located in these districts because they are zoned for high density. The committee recommended changes to a local ordinance which makes it mandatory for any developer taking over property in the area to attain a conditional permit. Developers tend to use poster printing to inform the public about what they plan to do with new projects.