LiveNorcross

Norcross is a vibrant, welcoming and inclusive city that cherishes its diverse communities. With its historic downtown, great schools, verdant spaces and small-town charm, this city of 17,000 residents has become one of the most desirable places to live in the Atlanta area.

But as Norcross has grown, our city is becoming increasingly unaffordable to folks who live here. Our desire is for Norcross to feel like home to all our residents, regardless of where they live or whether or not they have a mortgage. As we create more inclusive communities along both sides of Buford Highway, our hope is that Norcross continues to thrive.

Our aspiration for Norcross is “a home to imagine” for all its residents and those who aspire to live here. We are committed to offering a variety of quality housing options for families of all incomes and backgrounds.

Georgia Initiative for Community Housing

In October 2017, Norcross was one of five communities in Georgia selected to improve and broaden its housing options through the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing. GICH is a public-private initiative that, through innovative housing solutions, helps communities all over the state grow their economies and enhance the quality of life of its residents.

Norcross and the other communities selected (Troup County/Hogansville/LaGrange/West Point and the cities of Byron, Cochran and McRae-Helena) are working on this initiative over three years, assisted by housing experts from the University of Georgia and the Department of Community Affairs. Norcross is the first city in Gwinnett County to be selected for this statewide housing program.

The Norcross GICH initiative is chaired by Chris Moder, economic development director for the City of Norcross, and Lejla Prljaca, executive director of the Gwinnett Housing Corporation. A team of 20 community partners and stakeholders from the public and private sectors has been working on this three-year initiative since spring 2018.

Sixty-six Georgia communities have benefited from the GICH program since it was created in 2005. Some of the resulting strategies undertaken by communities include revitalizing distressed neighborhoods and subdivisions; developing multi-family apartments through tax credits; updating codes and ordinances; creating a land bank authority to purchase and renovate distressed housing; writing an urban redevelopment plan; conducting a housing assessment; and launching community clean-up programs.

The “LiveNorcross: A Home to Imagine” Initiative captures the city’s efforts to make Norcross a more livable and affordable community for all its residents. Norcross aims to be a leader in metro Atlanta in enhancing the lives of all its residents through innovative housing solutions.

The Problem

As housing prices continue to soar, many long-time residents are increasingly unable to afford renting or owning homes within the city limits. As a result, Norcross is experiencing a lot of transiency. Many residents have moved into our city only in the last five years, and many others are moving out as they are priced out of the market.

Housing instability is much bigger than just a housing problem. The lack of quality affordable housing affects our schools, our local businesses and our families. With the “Norcross: A Home to Imagine” Initiative, we aim to create quality rental and home ownership opportunities for families of all incomes so that we can create strong, stable and thriving communities.

Community Partners

The following organizations are working with the City of Norcross on this initiative:

ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions
Gateway85 CID
Latin American Chamber of Commerce
RE/MAX Solutions
Atlanta Regional Commission
Renasant Bank
Herron Property Group
City of Norcross
Norcross First United Methodist Church
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Windsor Realty
Norcross Cooperative Ministry
Latin American Association
Gwinnett County
City of Norcross Police Department
Gwinnett Housing Corporation
Access Realty Atlanta
Lawrenceville Housing Authority
Pedro Marin, Georgia House Representative
UGA Extension
CVIOG
Gwinnett Habitat for Humanity

Housing Solutions

As part of “Norcross: A Home to Imagine” Initiative, we are looking at innovative housing solutions that include:

• Expanding home ownership opportunities to people who are currently renting, by increasing the supply of affordable housing stock and working individually with families who want to buy their first home

• Exploring ways to offer quality rental housing to families who are not able to buy a home so they don’t have to spend more than a third of their net income in housing costs

Extended-Stay Motel Residents Report

A report released by a group of Norcross stakeholders reveals that many hard-working families and elderly individuals on a fixed income are living in extended-stay motels located within the city limits. The groundbreaking study sought to find out who lives in these establishments and what barriers they face to finding permanent housing. To view the full report, visit https://gwinnetthousing.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/extended-stay-survey-report-052019.pdf