DeKalb County Rent, Homeownership, and the Unhoused with Dr. Alan Ferguson | Chakira's Corner

DeKalb County's first Chief Housing Officer, Dr. Alan Ferguson, joins Commissioner Chakira Johnson to talk about housing challenges and solutions in DeKalb County. They discuss rising rents, homelessness, and housing diversity. The conversation also details where residents should turn if they are worried about paying rent or staying housed. Learn how to plug into the zoning rewrite, the countywide housing strategy, and other opportunities to help shape DeKalb's housing future.Chapters00:00 Intro and Commissioner Johnson's roles01:33 Introducing Chief Housing Officer Dr. Alan Ferguson02:26 Growing up in South DeKalb and choosing public service05:22 Why DeKalb created a Chief Housing Officer role07:24 What the Chief Housing Officer does and does not handle12:18 Common misconceptions about county government and housing18:06 If you miss a paycheck, where to call and how to get help23:00 Development without displacement and neighborhood stability27:10 Preserving neighborhood character and the zoning rewrite33:05 Early wins: housing strategy, Affordable Housing Fund, Park 500, NACA39:06 Key takeaways on housing priorities in DeKalb41:25 Commissioner Johnson's new role as Presiding Officer44:46 How to contact Commissioner Johnson and stay connectedLinksDeKalb Housing and Chief Housing Officer info:https://bit.ly/DeKalbDrFergusonDeKalb Zoning Rewrite information:https://bit.ly/ZoningDeKalbUnited Way of Greater Atlanta (including 211):https://unitedwayatlanta.org/ARCHI Collaborative:https://www.archicollaborative.org/DeKalb Resource Guide:https://bit.ly/DeKalbResourceGuideCommissioner Chakira Johnson Linktree:https://linktr.ee/commissionerchakirajohnson