Each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, communities across the country pause to honor Dr. King’s legacy not only in words, but through action. On January 19, 2026, Westside Future Fund’s Annual MLK Day of Service once again brought that legacy to life — activating more than 1,500 volunteers across 14 sites throughout Atlanta’s historic Westside in a shared commitment to care, service, and community.

From neighborhood schools and parks to urban farms and community organizations, volunteers showed up with paintbrushes, gloves, tools, and open hearts. The day reflected a core belief that guides Westside Future Fund’s work year-round: revitalization must be rooted in partnership, shared responsibility, and working alongside the community — not around it.

“Dr. King reminded us that everybody can serve,” said John Ahmann, President & CEO of Westside Future Fund. “Our annual MLK Day of Service reflects how restoration on the Westside happens year-round — neighbors, partners, and institutions showing up together with respect, care, and a shared commitment to place.”

Service Rooted in Place and History

Projects spanned more than a dozen locations across the historic Westside, where community partners and residents supported spaces that matter deeply to neighborhood life.

At Booker T. Washington Cluster schools — including Booker T. Washington High School, where Dr. King once walked the halls as a student — volunteers supported campus beautification, mural painting, classroom organization, landscaping, and student encouragement initiatives to help prepare schools for the semester ahead.

Additional projects took place at parks and green spaces such as Katherine Johnston Park and Rodney Cook Park, where volunteers focused on cleanup, planting, and care. Teams also supported urban agriculture sites including Truly Living Well and Historic Westside Gardens, helping strengthen local food systems and community gathering spaces.

Community organizations across the Westside welcomed volunteers as well, including the Harland Boys & Girls Club, Antioch Urban Ministries, Helping Empower Youth, and the Omenala Griot Museum. At each site, service was guided by respect for the work already happening and the people who steward these spaces every day.

Partnership in Action

Partnership is at the heart of the MLK Day of Service, and this year’s event was made possible through the commitment of long-standing community and corporate partners who contributed volunteers, tools, materials, and leadership — working shoulder to shoulder with residents and Westside Future Fund staff.

Participating partners included Atlanta Botanical Garden, Breakthrough Atlanta, Clark Atlanta University, Equifax, Georgia Power Company, Grant Thornton (US), JPMorganChase, Kaiser Permanente, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, King & Spalding, KPMG US, The Lovett School, and Spelman College.

Westside Future Fund is deeply grateful to The Home Depot Foundation for serving as this year’s presenting sponsor, and to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP for their supporting sponsorship. Their investment — alongside the commitment of every participating partner — reinforces the belief that meaningful change happens when institutions and communities show up together.

More Than a Day of Service

While MLK Day of Service is one powerful moment each year, it reflects work that continues long after the last volunteer site wraps up. The day reinforces Westside Future Fund’s year-round mission to prevent displacement, expand affordable housing, and strengthen Atlanta’s historic Westside through trust, collaboration, and long-term investment.

Service and restoration are not one-time acts — they are ongoing practices. On MLK Day, volunteers embodied Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community by caring for shared spaces, honoring history, and investing time and energy in a community he called home.

To every volunteer, partner, resident, and staff member who made this day possible: thank you for showing up, serving together, and helping carry this legacy forward.

Interested in getting involved as a volunteer? Visit volunteer.westsidefuturefund.org.

On a clear morning in English Avenue, community members, partners, and leaders gathered to mark an important milestone — the official opening of 839 Joseph E. Boone Boulevard and 646 Echo Street, two new deeply affordable housing communities on Atlanta’s historic Westside.

Together, these developments deliver 57 high-quality, affordable homes, ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments, alongside neighborhood-serving retail space designed to support local entrepreneurship. Built on formerly vacant and blighted land, the projects represent more than new buildings — they reflect years of intentional planning, partnership, and commitment to a guiding principle that has shaped Westside Future Fund’s work from the beginning: restoration without displacement.

“839 Boone and 646 Echo reflect a clear commitment to restoration without displacement,” said John Ahmann, President & CEO of Westside Future Fund. “Shaped by community priorities and intentional planning, this work supports housing stability for legacy residents while advancing a future-ready Westside.”

More Than Housing: Community Development at Work

These developments mark a first for Westside Future Fund — our first new-build, multifamily affordable housing communities — but housing alone is not the story.

Housing is one tool in the broader work of community development among many, which also include land stewardship, economic opportunity, homeownership pathways, and long-term neighborhood stability. WFF’s signature housing initiative, Home on the Westside, is designed to support generational legacy and ensure residents can remain and thrive as investment returns to the Westside.

Powered by Partnership

This work is made possible through sustained public-private partnership and a shared commitment to long-term, community-centered investment. Support from the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office, Atlanta City Council, and investment through the Westside Tax Allocation District (TAD) helped catalyze visible restoration — from affordable housing and neighborhood-serving retail to parks and greenspaces — while prioritizing residents with deep, legacy connections to the Westside.

We are deeply grateful to the many partners who made these developments possible. Special thanks to OaksATL for their meaningful contributions to 646 Echo Street and continued commitment to families and stability on the Westside. Major philanthropic support was provided by the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, which supported 839 Boone Boulevard, and the James M. Cox Foundation, which supported 646 Echo Street. Additional investment came through the WFF Impact Fund, with participation from Chick-fil-A, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, Cox Enterprises, Georgia Power, Equifax, Holder Construction, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), and Truist.

Together, these partnerships reflect what’s possible when institutions choose to invest with intention — and for the long term — in people, place, and shared progress.

Guided by Community Vision

Both developments align directly with the Westside Land Use Framework, a community-driven roadmap created with resident input to guide equitable growth across the historic Westside. The framework emphasizes thoughtful density, walkability, mixed-use development, and long-term affordability — ensuring that new investment strengthens existing communities rather than displacing them.

“This is what intentional growth looks like,” Ahmann noted. “When development follows a community-defined vision, it reinforces stability, opportunity, and belonging.”

What Was Built — and Why It Matters

839 Joseph E. Boone Boulevard delivers 33 affordable apartment homes serving households earning approximately 30–80% of Area Median Income, paired with ground-floor commercial space. This mixed-use model intentionally links housing stability with economic mobility, creating new opportunities for local entrepreneurs. Attendees at the ribbon cutting were able to see the spaces in action with pop-ups from LaRaiya’s Bodega and Chilly-O Art, both owned by Westside residents.

By pairing affordable housing with local business ownership, 839 Boone helps lay the groundwork for neighborhood vitality that is owned, shaped, and sustained by the community itself.

Just steps away, 646 Echo Street offers 24 affordable apartment homes, also serving households earning approximately 30–80% of Area Median Income. Designed with comfort, walkability, and connection in mind, these homes allow individuals and families to benefit from new investment while remaining rooted in the Westside.

One Milestone in a Larger Chapter

While the ribbon cutting marks a significant achievement, it is not an endpoint.

The opening of 839 Boone and 646 Echo is part of a broader continuum of work unfolding across the Westside — including progress toward reopening the historic Yellow Store as a community anchor, ongoing development efforts at 390 Sunset and Oliver + North, and a long-term vision that balances housing, opportunity, and preservation.

“We are far from mission accomplished,” Ahmann said. “But we are at a point of real acceleration. Over the next decade, you’re going to see more thriving neighborhoods across the Westside — and today is one indication that the momentum is real.”

As tours concluded and the ribbon was cut, the moment reflected what’s possible when community, philanthropy, public partners, and residents move forward together — with intention, care, and a shared commitment to restoration without displacement.

On Friday, January 16, Westside Future Fund (WFF) welcomed community members, neighbors, partners, and local business leaders to the first Transform Summit of the new year. It offered a dynamic and forward-looking conversation focused on economic opportunity, collaboration, and preparing Westside businesses to thrive ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

WFF President & CEO John Ahmann and Jon Ingram, WFF’s Chief Development Officer, opened the Summit by welcoming attendees and thanking the sponsors and supporters who make these monthly gatherings possible, and providing a brief update on WFF’s Home on the Westside program. To date, more than 60 families have moved into Westside neighborhoods through the program.

This month’s devotion was led by Derrick Green, project director at Morehouse School of Medicine and CEO of Historic Hills Community Development Corporation. As a fifth-generation Atlantan, Green reflected on the story of Nehemiah, drawing parallels to the ongoing work of restoring Westside neighborhoods. He acknowledged the challenges inherent in this work, reminding the room that opposition is inevitable—but perseverance is essential. Green closed with a brief prayer, after which attendees shared time in fellowship, greeting neighbors and welcoming one another to the Summit.

Following the devotion and fellowship, Ingram introduced Gavin McGuire, Executive Director of the Grove Park Foundation, as moderator for the featured discussion titled “World Cup Ready: Positioning Westside Businesses to Win.” Panelists Charis Wright (Fifth Third Bank), Eric Fears (J2RL), and Ashaela Bowen (CREAIT Tech) shared perspectives rooted in investment, innovation, and inclusion.

The World Comes to Atlanta

Beginning with a reflection on Atlanta’s past, McGuire noted that the city has an opportunity to learn from the 1996 Olympics and do something truly special this time. McGuire remarked, “[World Cup Ready] is about creating real access and real opportunity for the dreamers and business owners who just need a chance.”

A short video introduced the World Cup Ready framework, outlining the challenge facing local businesses: barriers to access, outdated systems, limited digital visibility, and lack of connection to global visitors. The initiative is designed to address those challenges directly, using the World Cup as a catalyst to create lasting infrastructure, skills, and access that will have lasting impact well beyond the final whistle.

The goal: activate 2,000 local businesses and ensure that economic opportunity reaches neighborhoods that have historically been left out.

Winning on the Westside

A central theme of the conversation was the importance of intentional partnership. Wright emphasized that community-driven investment is essential to long-term success, highlighting Fifth Third Bank’s work supporting small businesses through relationship-building, financial education, grants, and microloans. “The change is community-driven,” she stated, “and that’s what makes it impactful.”

Eric Fears, a key architect of World Cup Ready, reflected on his own experience during the 1996 Olympics while attending Georgia Tech. “When the World Cup was announced,” Fears shared, “the first thing I said was, ‘We gotta win.’ We gotta win on the Westside.”

An Opportunity Now, A Brighter Future Later

“What seed can we plant right now?” Fears asked. “That’s what World Cup Ready really is. It’s all about taking advantage of the moment… How do we actually help businesses truly, truly scale right now. Not tomorrow, but right now.” The goal is to economically equip businesses now so that decades from today, the Westside looks different not because of displacement, but because of inclusion.

The initiative focuses on several critical areas, including AI-enabled workflows and participation in the global digital economy. Fears highlighted the partners supporting the effort and businesses already engaging, reminding the room that Atlanta has long been known for institutionalizing opportunity—putting people on, not just opening doors.

“30 years down the road your kids and grandkids are going to ask you ‘when the World Cup came to Atlanta, did you have an opportunity to be World Cup Ready?’ And I know the answer is going to be yes. So let’s get it done,” Fears inspired.

McGuire grounded the conversation by emphasizing that the World Cup is not a savior, but a moment of momentum—one that helps get the house ready for future events while ensuring communities historically left out have real access to opportunity.

Getting World Cup Ready

Bowen shared her perspective as an Atlantan who grew up watching local businesses struggle to grow. Through automation, multilingual communication tools, and data-driven insights, she emphasized how businesses can scale, serve global customers, and prepare staff for an international audience. “Technology allows you to translate your message to anyone,” she said. “It can speak in all different languages.” She also highlighted how these tools create new pathways for youth by expanding access to advanced knowledge earlier than ever before.

The panel closed with questions from business owners eager to engage with the program and the panelists emphasizing that while the initiative began as “Grove Park Ready,” it has grown into World Cup Ready, with no neighborhoods left out. “I want our work to be an elimination of barriers,” McGuire said. Attendees were encouraged to register through the program’s website to access available tools, resources, and opportunities.

Ingram closed the summit by thanking the panelists, the sponsors, and all in the room who continue to show up for Atlanta’s historic Westside.

At the intersection of James P. Brawley Drive and Cameron M. Alexander Boulevard stands a bright yellow building with deep roots in English Avenue’s history — and a renewed role in its future. Known affectionately as the “Yellow Store,” the century-old structure was once a cornerstone of neighborhood life. Now, thanks to Westside Future Fund, restoration of this community landmark is officially underway.

A Beloved Past

Long before it fell into disrepair, the Yellow Store served as a vibrant community hub. For decades, it operated as Cantrell Sodas and Sundaes — a locally owned soda shop and ice cream parlor where neighbors gathered, children lingered over root beer floats, and music drifted from the record store on the ground floor.

Owned by the Cantrell family, the building also housed a shoe store and four residential apartments above. It was more than a commercial space — it was a place of care and connection. The Cantrells were known for offering free meals during the holidays and opening their doors to neighbors in need.

This stretch of James P. Brawley Drive once pulsed with everyday activity and shared purpose. But like much of the historic Westside, it was deeply impacted by decades of systemic disinvestment. Over time, the Yellow Store became a visible symbol of that neglect — its façade fading, its storefronts shuttered, and violent crime taking hold nearby.

A Vision for Restoration

In 2019, Westside Future Fund purchased the Yellow Store for $600,000 as part of a long-term, community-guided strategy to restore neighborhood assets and honor the legacy of English Avenue. The project is rooted in the Westside Land Use Framework Plan, shaped by residents and community leaders who identified the James P. Brawley corridor — and this corner in particular — as a priority for reinvestment and stabilization.

Since that time, WFF has taken an intentional, block-by-block approach to strengthening the corridor — acquiring properties, restoring historic homes, and building new ones with a clear commitment to affordability and resident retention. At its core, this effort reflects restoration without displacement by honoring English Avenue’s history while ensuring longtime residents remain part of its future.

• Since 2021, WFF has rehabilitated or built and sold 12 homes along James P. Brawley Drive.
• The organization currently owns 40 rental units on the street, with plans for 15 additional homes within blocks of the Yellow Store.

This work is part of a broader placemaking effort across English Avenue, alongside partners such as the Atlanta Police Foundation (officer housing and the At-Promise Center), St. Mark AME Church under the leadership of Pastor Winston Taylor, and Historic Westside Gardens, which expands access to fresh food for local families.

Together, these coordinated investments are helping reestablish the corridor as a safer, more connected neighborhood — guided by community voices and grounded in long-term stewardship rather than displacement.

What’s Next for the Yellow Store

The Yellow Store project represents a $3.6 million investment, including $750,000 from the Westside TAD — a critical public-private financing tool that helps drive equitable redevelopment in historically underserved communities. Restoration work officially began this month.

When complete, the building will once again serve both residential and commercial purposes:

• The ground floor will include 3,000 square feet of neighborhood-serving retail space divided into two stalls — one focused on fresh food and the other on soft goods — along with a patio and courtyard designed as a welcoming gathering space.
• The upper floor will be restored into four high-quality, affordable apartments, returning safe and dignified housing to the heart of English Avenue.

As with all of Westside Future Fund’s work, the restoration of the Yellow Store is about honoring the people and places that shaped Atlanta’s historic Westside — and ensuring that legacy residents can continue to live, work, and thrive as their neighborhood is restored.

This month, two new homeowners put down roots in Atlanta’s historic Westside through Home on the Westside, marking important milestones for their families and for the community.

Leon Pellew: A New Home in English Avenue

Leon Pellew recently closed on a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in English Avenue through Home on the Westside.

A proud veteran and a team member at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Leon is now a homeowner along James P. Brawley Drive. His new home provides space and stability for him and his three young daughters, as well as proximity to work and daily life on the Westside.

We’re proud to celebrate this milestone with Leon and to welcome his family home.

Michaela James: Beginning a New Chapter

Michaela James also recently purchased her home along James P. Brawley Drive in English Avenue through Home on the Westside.

A City of Atlanta employee and new mother, Michaela is beginning this next chapter with her daughter as a homeowner on the Westside. Her home represents an important step forward for her family and adds to the growing number of residents choosing to call this corridor home.

We’re honored to celebrate this moment with Michaela and to welcome her as a neighbor.

A Program Built Around Community

James P. Brawley Drive was identified by residents early on as a key corridor for renewed care and attention. Today, families like Leon’s and Michaela’s are part of that ongoing story — living, investing, and building their lives in the neighborhood.

Through Home on the Westside, Westside Future Fund supports people with ties to the historic Westside by creating pathways to quality, affordable homeownership and long-term stability.

We’re grateful to Leon and Michaela for trusting us to be part of their homeownership journey, and proud to welcome them home.

Learn more about Home on the Westside at www.homeonthewestside.com.

This holiday season, the spirit of giving came alive at Westside Future Fund’s annual gift-wrapping volunteer event at our 970 Jefferson headquarters. Joined by dozens of volunteers from Progress Residential and Target, we helped make the season brighter for more than 250 children in the Booker T. Washington School Cluster and residents of Home on the Westside multifamily communities.

Thanks to generous contributions from Progress Residential, Target, Taft | Morris Manning, Medical Asset Management, The Home Depot, PwC, The Atlanta Ballet, and many individual donors, this year’s event became our largest and most impactful to date. Their support allowed us to expand our reach and distribute hundreds of toys to local families — demonstrating what’s possible when cross-sector partners come together with a shared commitment to the Westside.

This annual tradition reflects how Westside Future Fund approaches its work year-round: by being consistently present, working alongside residents, and partnering with organizations that share a long-term commitment to the community. Volunteer projects like this one are not stand-alone moments, but part of a broader strategy to support families, strengthen neighborhoods, and reinforce the connections that make community stability possible.

Moments like these reflect the heart of Westside Future Fund’s work — supporting families in ways that are tangible, personal, and rooted in community. By bringing neighbors and partners together, we help reinforce the sense of belonging and stability that allows longtime residents to remain, thrive, and continue shaping the future of the Westside.

Together, we are building a true sense of home on Atlanta’s historic Westside.

Interested in getting involved? Join us at an upcoming volunteer project and experience firsthand the ongoing work to restore the Westside into a community Dr. King would be proud to call home. Learn more at volunteer.westsidefuturefund.org.

On Friday, December 19, the Westside Future Fund (WFF) welcomed community members, partners, and neighbors to the monthly Transform Westside Summit for a meaningful conversation centered on education, opportunity, and the future of Atlanta’s historic Westside. This month’s program featured Dr. Bryan Johnson, Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools discussing building brighter futures for our students.

WFF President & CEO John Ahmann opened the Summit by welcoming attendees and sharing updates on the organization’s Home on the Westside program. Designed to prioritize high-quality, affordable housing for those who live, work, and learn on the Westside, the program continues to offer both rental opportunities and affordable single-family homeownership options.

Ahmann shared a video highlighting two new multifamily developments on Echo Street and Boone Street, which together will provide 57 affordable rental units to the community. He also spoke about the single-family homes currently available for purchase and emphasized the opportunity for down payment assistance, a critical tool in helping Westside residents achieve stable, long-term homeownership.

This month’s Summit featured a unique and powerful community-led devotion. Gospel quartet Tiny Foster & Dem Saints offered music that grounded the room in fellowship and shared experience, reminding attendees of the unifying power of faith, culture, and connection.

Following the devotion and fellowship, Ahmann welcomed Dr. Bryan Johnson, Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools, for a moderated discussion titled “Building Brighter Futures: Dr. Bryan Johnson’s Vision for the Booker T. Washington Cluster.”

Building Brighter Futures

Dr. Johnson shared his deep belief in what is possible when vision, innovation, and community come together in service of students, and the conversation began with a focus on academic achievement within the Booker T. Washington Cluster.

“We are making a deep investment in the Washington Cluster explicitly,” Dr. Johnson shared. “We’re providing more options for families and students. We’re being intentional about positioning students for the future.”

Reflecting on his early days at Atlanta Public Schools (APS), Dr. Johnson spoke about the historic and cultural significance of Booker T. Washington High School:

“I had the privilege of starting during the 100th year, so there were a lot of special moments… There was this recognition of the significance of Booker T. Washington High School to the city, and the community, and frankly the nation—the legends that have walked the halls, and the impact that they have had on the city and the country. You recognize the importance it has for the community.”

“Because of that history, because of that excellence,” he added, “we’ve got to make it all that it can be.”

Dr. Johnson emphasized APS’s commitment to making the cluster a destination—not only for the surrounding neighborhoods, but for the entire district. “We want parents to choose Atlanta Public Schools,” he said.

Family Engagement, Community Partnership, and Equity

The discussion then explored meaningful family engagement and the role schools play in building strong relationships with parents and caregivers. He acknowledged that families come from many different circumstances and emphasized the responsibility schools have to meet them where they are.

“Our vision is that folks see the school as an extremely welcoming place,” he said. “A place that no matter if you earn a million dollars, or a thousand, or no dollars a year… you know how to access and engage in your child’s learning.”

When asked how community partners like Westside Future Fund, nonprofits, and businesses can support this vision, Dr. Johnson highlighted the importance of long-term student success.

“As important as it is to provide coats and backpacks and all those things—which we’re so grateful for—the most important thing we can do is position students to be successful post-graduation,” he said. “Teaching students to read, think critically, and understand how to navigate social skills—that’s how we break some of the generational challenges that have persisted in Atlanta and across the country.”

Equity remains a central focus of APS’s work. “We’re unapologetic about making sure no matter where you are, you have access,” Dr. Johnson shared. “We’re investing strategically.”

Looking Ahead with Hope

When asked what gives him the most hope for the future, Dr. Johnson’s answer was immediate: the students.

“The students give me the most hope,” he said. “This generation is different—and it’s incumbent upon us to figure out how to meet them where they are.” With more information and opportunity available earlier than ever before, he emphasized the importance of building strong academic foundations while continuing to adapt to students’ evolving needs.

“The kids are brilliant,” he added. “The more we can expose them to opportunities, the better positioned they’re going to be.”

Dr. Johnson encouraged ongoing dialogue and accessibility, inviting community members to reach out with follow-up questions. The audience members—many of whom are parents and grandparents—asked questions on topics from AP course access and literacy improvement, to facilities planning and skill-based learning. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Johnson reaffirmed his unapologetic commitment to recognizing current gaps while making intentional, meaningful improvements across the district.

The summit ended with a rousing rendition of Joy to the World. It served as a joyful reminder that together, through partnership, vision, and shared commitment, we continue working toward brighter futures for the Westside.

Missed the event? Watch the full December Transform Westside Summit on YouTube.

The holidays have a way of pulling us back to the places that shaped us.
The smell of something warm in the kitchen.
The sound of laughter drifting from another room.
The small moments, a light left on for you, a familiar chair, a soft “welcome home” — that reminded us we were safe, seen, and loved.

For many of us, home is where our earliest dreams began. It’s where we learned who we were… and who we could become.

But for too many families on Atlanta’s historic Westside, that sense of home, that foundation of belonging, stability, and possibility  has been challenged for decades. Rising housing costs, aging properties, and the effects of long-term disinvestment have made it harder for families to stay rooted in the neighborhoods that raised them.

Through Westside Future Fund’s Home on the Westside program, that story is changing.
Families are finding restoration.
Parents are finding relief.
Children are finding room to dream.
And longtime residents are finding a path to remain in the community they’ve always called home.

This season, we’re honored to share the stories of three families who remind us what home can truly mean.

Hear the stories of these homeowners on what home means to them.

For Louis Deas, the budding young professional and entrepreneur, home has given him the opportunity to chase endless possibilities through entrepreneurship and business aspirations. As a Morehouse graduate, his home has allowed him to chase his dreams while staying connected to the Westside community he loves.

For Monnica Taylor and her three children, home is the soft landing place after a long day, the space where her children feel protected, nurtured, and free to be themselves. Her home gives them the belonging every child deserves and the stability every mother prays for. 

These are more than stories.
They’re reminders of what home can offer — refuge, pride, legacy, and hope.This season, your gift helps make more stories like these possible for Westside families.

Your generosity restores faith in what home can be.

If home ever shaped you…
If someone ever left a light on for you…
If you’ve ever felt the power of a place that held your story — we invite you to help give that same gift to a family on the Westside today.

Donate to give the gift of home today. 

In historic English Avenue, two new single-family homes rose into place in a single day this November — a striking moment in a neighborhood where high-quality, affordable homeownership has long been out of reach for many of the people who love this community most.

For Westside Future Fund (WFF), the installation wasn’t simply about construction speed. It was about expanding the tools available to help legacy residents rent, buy, or retain a home through Home on the Westside, WFF’s signature program.

“When you have 200-plus homes to build, you look at every option that helps you do things faster, easier, and with affordability in mind without ever compromising quality,” said WFF Chief Real Estate Officer Rachel Carey.

Innovation That Serves Affordability

The modular homes — both three bedrooms, three baths, and approximately 1,450 square feet — were fully constructed in a factory and then lifted onto WFF-owned land at the corner of English Avenue and North Avenue. With primary construction completed off-site, the homes can be set on foundation and ready for move-in within six to eight weeks, dramatically reducing the time it takes to deliver high-quality, affordable housing.

For WFF Vice President of Real Estate Development Lee Harrop, modular isn’t a shortcut. It’s a way to give families access to the same craftsmanship WFF is known for — just delivered differently, quicker. 

“Once the crane left, you’d never know these were modular homes,” Harrop said. “Inside, they have the same finishes: granite countertops, durable materials, everything our buyers expect.”

Both homes will be priced at $350,000 and available to buyers with live, work, and learn connections to the historic Westside.

A Partnership Designed for Community-Led Revitalization

The project brought together development partners from Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership (ANDP), Fortas Homes as general contractor, and Impact Housing as the modular manufacturer.

In a conversation with ANDP, the organization emphasized that this collaboration works because WFF anchors the community’s vision, “WFF serves as the community quarterback for the historic Westside — coordinating partners, aligning resources, and keeping legacy residents at the center of redevelopment efforts. Together, we’re producing high-quality, affordable homes as part of a neighborhood-driven strategy — advancing our mission to expand access to opportunity while supporting a locally anchored, inclusive revitalization effort.”

ANDP also underscored why this modular pilot matters.

“For us, this pilot is an opportunity to learn alongside WFF about where modular construction may be useful in supporting high-quality, affordable homeownership — and to better understand the conditions under which it can be a practical tool for advancing affordability.”

A Visible Step Toward a Mixed-Income Community

These homes are part of six new homeowners created on English Avenue this year — a milestone Carey calls an important signal of progress.

“When was the last time you could say six new homeowners were created on English Avenue in a single year?” she said. “It’s a visible indicator of the work happening block by block.”

For WFF, the modular pilot is the kind of creative, resident-centered problem-solving that defines its mission: restoring a community with, not to, longtime residents and helping ensure the historic Westside remains a place they can call home.

Harrop sees modular as another tool that could help accelerate affordability where conditions allow.

“If modular helps us create more high-quality, affordable homes for legacy residents at scale, it’s a tool worth exploring and implementing,” said Harrop. 

Home on the Westside in Action

Every new home brought online moves WFF closer to its long-term goal of creating a thriving, mixed-income community that Dr. King would be proud to call home — a place where people with deep ties to the neighborhood can stay rooted and build for the future.

On English Avenue, two new homes now stand as proof of what residents, partners, and WFF can accomplish together: quality, affordability, and belonging — built with care, and designed for the families who make the historic Westside home.

Interested in learning more about Home on the Westside and if you qualify? Visit www.homeonthewestside.com. 

For six consecutive years, the WFF Volunteer Corps and Hudson Grille have answered the same call: to show up for Atlanta’s historic Westside during the season of gratitude. This year, they answered it bigger than ever.

Over just two days, the partnership distributed 1,900 complete Thanksgiving meals to 247 households — a milestone that reflects both the growing need in our community and the unwavering commitment of those determined to meet it. Each meal included turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, desserts and rolls, everything families needed to gather around the table together.

From Pandemic Challenge to Community Solution

The story of this partnership is one of adaptation. Hudson Grille has been serving the community since 1991, with giving embedded in their DNA from day one. But when COVID-19 struck in 2020, they faced a question: How do we continue to serve when everything has changed? Working with Raquel Hudson, Director of Volunteer Programs at Westside Future Fund, they reimagined their approach. Instead of traditional in-person service, they created a distribution model that could reach more families, more safely, and more efficiently.

“Watching this partnership grow over the past six years, reaching nearly 250 households with 1,900 meals, is a reminder of what’s possible when we commit to showing up consistently,” said Raquel Hudson, Director of Volunteer Programs at Westside Future Fund. “It’s about affirming that families in our community are seen, valued, and worthy of celebration.”

Six years later, that pivot has blossomed into something remarkable: a program that grows stronger and reaches further each year.

Youth Leading the Way

Behind every meal handed off was a young person learning what it means to serve. For the third year in a row, Westside Future Fund interns — aged 11 to 21 and employed through a Georgia Natural Gas-funded initiative — were integral to the distribution efforts. These young people are building skills, earning income, and discovering firsthand the impact of showing up for their community.

Their hard work is essential to the success of the event. Over both days, they supported the orchestration of the entire operation: packing cars at Hudson Grille, coordinating delivery lists, and ensuring volunteers had everything they needed to get meals to families.

What 1,900 Meals Really Means

Numbers can feel abstract, but 247 households translate to real families. Children knowing their Thanksgiving table will be full. Elders not eating alone. Parents breathing easier knowing one significant meal is taken care of. The growth from previous years shows that word has spread, families know this resource exists, and they’re reaching out.

As this partnership continues to grow, it demonstrates a simple truth: community isn’t something that happens by accident. It’s built by partners like Hudson Grille showing up year after year, by WFF creating the infrastructure to scale impact, and by young people stepping in to make it all possible.

Ready to be part of the solution? WFF continues to support the historic Westside throughout the year. Learn more about volunteering opportunities at https://volunteer.westsidefuturefund.org/.