Business Brief Local

Atlanta’s Historic Westside Receives Significant Support

Atlanta nonprofit Westside Future Fund (WFF) has announced that it is creating a national model for equitable, community revitalization in the city’s historic Westside.

By Robyn Spizman Gerson
  • Robyn Spizman Gerson is a New York Times best-selling author of many books, including “When Words Matter Most.” She is also a communications professional and well-known media personality, having appeared often locally on “Atlanta and Company” and nationally on NBC’s “Today” show. For more information go to www.robynspizman.com.
 20 April 2022, 2:02 pm
The Brawley property was designed for neighbors to connect on their porches and in the community courtyard.

The Westside is experiencing philanthropic boom. Atlanta nonprofit Westside Future Fund (WFF) has announced that it is creating a national model for equitable, community revitalization in the city’s Historic Westside.

WFF delivers quality, affordable housing and cradle-to-career education in the Vine City, English Avenue, Ashview Heights and Atlanta University Center neighborhoods, once home to iconic civil rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. After decades of disinvestment, the Westside has become a focal point for investors and corporations. Now, the community is struggling to retain its identity and affordability in the wake of a repopulation boom.

Over the last five years, WFF has emerged as one of Atlanta’s largest affordable housing developers. So far, it has delivered 596 of the 800 proposed multifamily housing units. These units are providing permanent affordability and economic mobility. Utilizing a philanthropic financing model that is replicable and scalable, WFF is proving that communities can transform without gentrifying.

Iris and Bruce Feinberg added WFF to their philanthropic portfolio because it is a model for tzedakah, the Jewish obligation to charitable giving. “The neighborhoods WFF serves are part of Atlanta’s history and legacy,” the couple said.

“Communities thrive when residents have ownership and can stay long-term. This means increasing homeownership, creating mixed-income communities and improving safety, security and education. WFF has a collaborative model that ensures the right approach to revitalization and growth.”

For more information about the Westside Future Fund, visit: www.westsidefuturefund.org.

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