We believe a home is essential to a family’s health and success, and so we’ve been creating mixed-income housing opportunities for almost 30 years. Even with decades of experience, we still get excited when a new family moved into the neighborhood!
You may have seen our previous profiles on James, the Bridges, Tanisha and Khairi, or the Quezadas. Today we’re eager to introduce you to a recent South Atlanta homeowner who also happens to be on our FCS staff team. We’re delighted to have Krista, her husband Peter, and their daughter Lenora living in the neighborhood!
Krista serves as our FCS Development Coordinator, and she and her family moved into South Atlanta a little over a month ago. She says, “Joining the neighborhood is central to our work as an organization. However, it is certainly not a requirement all staff live here. For our family, the timing was right, and it really was an easy decision to move into South Atlanta. We wanted to put down roots in a place where neighbors talk to each other, differences are embraced, and people are authentically and unapologetically themselves. This is a strong community and we are thankful to be a part of it.”
Her current favorite thing about living in South Atlanta is the fact she walk home for lunch! But Krista is eager to see what the future holds for the neighborhood. “We are excited to see more people taking interest in South Atlanta. As parents of a young child, we are particularly interested in the change that’s happening in the public schools,” she says, referring to a recent partnership between Atlanta Public Schools and Purpose Built Schools. This connection has brought increased attention and resources to the local schools in South Atlanta, and the community is eager to see stronger schools for local students. Finally, she adds, “It’s also really nice to see vacancies decrease as more families move into the neighborhood.”
We know there is something special and grounding for families to be able to own their own home. “This is the first home we have owned,” Krista says, “and it is already a very different feeling. We feel like we have the time and freedom to really create a home here. Peter loves to experiment with plants, and we are figuring out where to plant blackberry bushes and peach trees even though they probably won’t bear fruit for another couple of years. We never would have done that before. Little things like that add up and make a big difference.”
We agree whole-heartedly. All the small actions of building a home serve to create stronger communities. We are thankful to be a part of this work, and we appreciate your support that makes it possible for families like Krista’s to join the community.
