Athens Housing Authority

What Athens Housing Authority does

Athens Housing Authority (AHA) is a federally designated public housing authority established in 1937 under Georgia state law and operating under U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development oversight. Headquartered at 300 S. Rocksprings St. in Athens, Georgia, AHA administers Public Housing units, Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, and Affordable Homeownership programs (ACT I Homes, Savannah Heights) for income-eligible households in Athens-Clarke County. Its flagship development is Columbia Brookside, a 370-unit mixed-income community developed in partnership with Columbia Residential that opened in three phases between 2015 and 2017 and won the 2018 Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award. A newer four-phase redevelopment, The View at NoDA, opened its first phase on May 2, 2025.

AHA operates under a non-commercial business model: revenue is derived from HUD Public Housing Operating Subsidy and Capital Fund Program grants, federal Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments to private landlords, and tenant rents calculated at 30% of adjusted gross income. The organization employs 51-100 staff and is governed by a Board of Commissioners. It maintains five wholly-owned affiliated entities (Athens Housing Redevelopment, Vanguard Housing Solutions, Athens Housing Ventures Fund, Core Holdings, Peter Street Partners) that support development, investment, and asset-holding functions. Beyond core housing services, AHA runs a Summer Food Service Program that has served approximately 48,000 meals annually across 21+ sites for 25 years, resident scholarship programs, a 2018 smoke-free policy across all communities, and partnerships with UGA, Augusta University/UGA Athens Free Clinic, and the Athens Wellbeing Project for community health, literacy, and wellness services. Sheila Crisp was announced as Executive Director on November 21, 2024, succeeding Rick Parker.

Name

Athens Housing Authority

Legal name

Athens Housing Authority

Website

https://athenshousing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Athens Housing Authority is a federally designated public housing authority in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, operating since 1937. It provides Public Housing units, Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, Affordable Homeownership programs, and mixed-income developments such as Columbia Brookside and The View at NoDA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Housing Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs (925110), Administration of Housing Programs (92511), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Non-Operating Establishments (9995)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA), Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8) (BPAJAFAD), Affordable & Public Housing Asset Management (BPAJAMAI), Housing Voucher & Rental Assistance Programs (Tenant-Based/Project-Based) (FSALAKAI)

Keywords

• Public housing programs
• Affordable housing services
• Section 8 vouchers
• Rental assistance programs
• Housing choice vouchers

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Housing Operating Subsidy: Federal funding from HUD to operate public housing developments including maintenance, administration, and modernization of dwelling units.
2. Tenant Rents: Monthly rental payments from public housing residents based on income-adjusted formula (typically 30% of adjusted gross income).
3. Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments: Federal rental assistance payments to landlords on behalf of eligible low-income families.
4. Capital Fund Program: HUD capital funding for modernization and development of public housing properties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Athens Housing Authority operates as a public housing authority providing affordable housing services through multiple integrated programs. Core offerings include public housing units for eligible low-income families, Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers enabling rental assistance in the private market, and affordable homeownership programs (ACT I Homes, Savannah Heights). The flagship development Columbia Brookside is a 370-unit mixed-income community combining public housing, tax credit, and market-rate units.

Product overview

Athens Housing Authority operates as a traditional public housing authority providing affordable housing services through multiple integrated programs. The core offerings include public housing units, Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, and affordable homeownership programs (ACT I Homes, Savannah Heights). A flagship development is Columbia Brookside, a 370-unit mixed-income community created in partnership with Columbia Residential that combines public housing, tax credit units, and market-rate apartments. Supporting services include resident support programs (scholarships, summer food service), property management, and business procurement services. The organization does not operate as a technology platform but as a government housing agency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Housing Traditional public housing program providing dwelling units to eligible low-income families, elderly, and persons with disabilities, including admissions, rent determination, and property management services.
• Section 8 Housing Assistance

Quantifiable outcome

• 370 dwelling units developed through Columbia Brookside transformation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Columbia ResidentialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner for Columbia Brookside mixed-income housing project. Columbia Residential of Atlanta was selected through a resident-inclusive process to develop the first mixed-income multi-family housing in Athens at the former Jack R. Wells site.
• Athens-Clarke County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner supporting affordable housing development initiatives and community revitalization efforts. Collaborated with AHA on corridor development strategies.
• University of GeorgiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UGA College of Education for community literacy center at Parkview Community Center. UGA photojournalism students participate in Help Portrait Day annually.
• Athens Free Clinic (Augusta University/UGA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobile health clinic visits Parkview community providing basic health screenings and connecting residents with medical care.
• Athens Wellbeing Project PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration including ACC Government, ACC Police, Clarke County School District, Athens Area Foundation, United Way, Piedmont Athens Regional, St. Mary's Healthcare, and UGA to assess and address community wellbeing needs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Atlanta Housing Authority: Largest public housing authority in Georgia, operating public housing, Section 8 vouchers, and mixed-income developments comparable to AHA's portfolio. Most directly comparable as a same-state housing authority with similar HUD funding structure and mixed-income redevelopment experience.
• Savannah Housing Authority: Georgia public housing authority providing public housing, Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, and affordable homeownership programs. Direct peer given identical program structure (public housing, HCV, homeownership) and same-state regulatory environment.
• Augusta Housing Authority: Georgia-based public housing authority administering HUD-funded public housing and Section 8 programs with mixed-income redevelopment initiatives. Direct peer at the same scale and within the same state regulatory framework as AHA.
• Macon-Bibb County Housing Authority: Mid-size Georgia housing authority operating traditional public housing, Section 8 vouchers, and affordable housing redevelopment — closely comparable to AHA in scale, geography (mid-size Georgia city), and service mix.
• Housing Authority of the City of Gainesville: Northeast Georgia public housing authority administering HUD programs for low-income residents in a similar university-adjacent community. Comparable as a small-to-mid-size Georgia PHA with overlapping program offerings.
• Columbia Residential: Atlanta-based affordable housing developer that partnered with AHA to develop Columbia Brookside. Comparable as a private-sector counterpart executing mixed-income LIHTC developments alongside public housing authority partners.

Broad incumbents

• Georgia Department of Community Affairs: State agency that allocates federal housing resources, LIHTC, and administers state affordable housing programs that fund AHA's developments. Comparable as the upstream funding/administrative counterpart to Georgia PHAs.
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Federal agency providing operating subsidies, capital funds, and Section 8 voucher funding that form the core revenue base of all U.S. public housing authorities including AHA. Defines the regulatory and funding framework AHA operates within.

Emerging players

• Habitat for Humanity of Athens-Clarke County: Local nonprofit affordable homeownership developer operating in the same Athens geography as AHA's ACT I Homes and Savannah Heights programs. Comparable as an adjacent affordable housing provider in AHA's primary service area.

Others

• National Housing & Rehabilitation Association: Industry association that awarded AHA the 2018 Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award for Columbia Brookside. Comparable as the trade body representing and benchmarking LIHTC-financed affordable housing developments nationwide.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Athens-Housing-Authority-246324092118077
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/housing-authority

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Athens Housing Authority