Atlanta Hopes to Help Some Neighborhoods Stay 'Displacement-Free'

A motion from Atlanta City Councilmember Keisha Lance Bottoms would have the city study the feasibility of implementing Displacement-Free Zones in neighborhoods impacted negatively by ongoing "revitalization" efforts.

Displacement-Free Zones—sometimes called Eviction-Free Zones—are packages of neighborhood-level laws and initiatives designed to mitigate the impacts of gentrification on longtime or low-income residents and business owners. A 2015 report from Governing placed Atlanta fifth on the list of gentrifying cities in the nation.

DFZs often cap increases on rent and property taxes for housing and small businesses. The designation is also used by activists to concentrate eviction-defense work in a strategic area. Cities including Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angles, San Francisco, Miami, Portland, and Cincinatti have considered or adopted DFZs in some neighborhoods.

If the motion passes, the Department of Planning and Community Development would have 120 days to provide its findings to the Atlanta City Council.