T.I. is an Atlanta rapper. His deeds are more impacting than his lyrics. T.I. has helped fund “affordable apartments” in Bankhead. As reported, “more Atlanta families now have access to affordable housing.” On Tuesday, Atlanta rapper T.I., Mayor Andre Dickens, and a variety of other groups “unveiled 140 units at the Intrada Building on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway.”
More Atlanta families now have access to affordable housing. Some of that access is attributable to T.I. Atlanta Mayor Dickens exclaimed: “When you listen to Tip’s album… he shouts out all the neighborhoods right around here.”
T.I. shared a personal action committed years ago that inspired him, in part, to create the new affordable housing development. “I’m going to tell y’all a secret. Don’t tell nobody. I got caught stealing from this Kmart,” T.I. said. He laughed while referencing a store that stood in the neighborhood. “I thought that, you know, just to offset the shame that came with that, it would behoove me to invest in the community by acquiring these properties.”
Background information about the rapper and the neighborhood discloses that “The Rubber Band Man,” a moniker for T.I., is talking about his investment in this brand-new building on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway. He’s not the only one who knows this area well.
As reported, the mayor and rapper say the community is a partnership with the city of Atlanta, T.I.’s “Briarhouse Holdings,” and the Vecino group. Tip (T.I.) says he was inspired by fellow West Side-native Killer Mike. T.I. shared an insight into the power of people working together. “If everyone does a little, no one has to do a lot.'”
Background on the people affected by this type of housing project shows profound impacts can result. “Since 2017, several organizations have thrown their resources together to make a safe space for families who’ve floundered financially.” Real estate rental data shows why buying a home can be financially challenging. According to RentCafe, the average Atlanta rent is more than $1,800. “And with a ZipRecruiter poll showing the average person makes $34.21 an hour, it’s clear why there’s such an emphasis on creating affordable homes.”
Mayor Dickens acknowledged government has limitations. “Safe, quality, affordable housing is linked to what we value,” he said. “It’s not something a government can fix on its own.”
As reported, in the past two years, the mayor says the city has created 3,200 affordable homes, with another 5,000 under construction. “The mayor says his goal is to set aside 20,000 affordable housing units.”
