Rocket Community Fund’s Commitment to Atlanta
Rocket Community Fund has invested over $2.5 million in Atlanta to address housing stability, including a pilot program to cover the cost of property tax increases for qualified homeowners and a $300,000 investment to protect renters from illegal eviction. The post Rocket Community Fund’s Commitment to Atlanta appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.
The Atlanta area has grown rapidly in recent years and is now the sixth-largest metropolitan region in the United States. This increase in population is driving increased housing costs and property taxes. Rocket Community Fund, the philanthropic partner of Rocket Mortgage, is committed to simplifying complex and inequitable systems to ensure that every American has access to stable, healthy housing. In Atlanta, this commitment has led to more than $2.5 million in investments focused on housing stability.
Getting to Know our Atlanta Neighbors
In February 2023, Rocket Community Fund launched its flagship Neighbor to Neighbor program in Atlanta. Neighbor to Neighbor is a door-to-door canvassing campaign to connect residents with resources and identify critical community issues. The Partnership for Southern Equity and the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership led the effort, which collected more than 16,300 responses from residents across 20 Atlanta neighborhoods throughout 2023.
According to Neighbor to Neighbor data, 76% of homeowners surveyed expressed concern about paying current year property taxes and 79% of respondents expressed concern about potential property tax increases. Neighbor to Neighbor data also showed the impact of rising costs on renters, with 36% of respondents worried about eviction due to rising rents. This number increases to 51% for renters who have lived in Atlanta for 11-19 years.
Our Commitment to Homeowners and Renters
In response to Neighbor to Neighbor data, Rocket Community Fund announced a $250,000 investment in March 2023 for a pilot program with the City of Atlanta to cover the cost of property tax increases for qualified homeowners. This investment followed earlier commitments focused on legacy resident retention including $500,000 to the Atlanta BeltLine’s Legacy Resident Retention Program, $250,000 to the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership’s “Closing the Gap” affordable housing plan and $100,000 to HouseProud Atlanta to support senior residents with home repairs.
To support renters, the Rocket Community Fund also announced a $300,000 investment with the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyer’s Foundation to protect renters from illegal eviction.
“Through Neighbor to Neighbor, we spoke with thousands of families, learning about their concerns, challenges and fears related to housing stability in Atlanta,” said Laura Grannemann, Executive Director, Rocket Community Fund. “These investments respond directly to those concerns, addressing rising property taxes and eviction increases. We are thrilled to work with partners to promote safe and stable housing for all.”
The Rocket Community Fund also supports the Rocket Wealth Accelerator program in Atlanta, as well as Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee. The Rocket Wealth Accelerator connects clients with coaches who help them improve their financial literacy, build credit and grow generational wealth – all crucial steps towards long-term stability. In Atlanta, the Rocket Wealth Accelerator is managed by LISC and Atlanta Center for Self-Sufficiency.
Between all these investments, Rocket Community Fund has invested more than $2.5 million to the Atlanta community in the last year and a half – and they are going to keep investing as they learn more about the city’s unique needs.
It’s an approach that is winning praise from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who said “Our vision of ‘one city with one bright future’ can only be achieved through collaborative partnerships that prioritize our most critical needs, like stable and secure housing. I am grateful to the Rocket Community Fund for their commitment to fostering the equity and economic inclusion of Atlantans.”
The post Rocket Community Fund’s Commitment to Atlanta appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.