Stories of Impact

Across Atlanta’s Historic Westside, the story of community has always been shaped by women — leaders, caregivers, educators, and entrepreneurs whose influence extends far beyond any single space. But just as important as the people are the places. From historic institutions to neighborhood hubs and small businesses, spaces designed to support women and girls have […]

Across Atlanta’s Historic Westside, restoration is underway. New homes are being built, longtime residents are gaining new pathways to remain in the communities they love, and neighborhood spaces are being reimagined for the future. But behind these visible changes is more than a vision. It is a system for implementation — one designed to ensure […]

At this month’s Transform Westside Summit, neighbors, partners, and community leaders gathered once again to connect, reflect, and move forward together in the work of restoring Atlanta’s Historic Westside. The morning opened with a warm welcome from WFF President & CEO John Ahmann, followed by a powerful devotion from Ebony Charley, Founder and Owner of Trinity Financial […]

Before urban planners coined terms like ecosystem, mixed-use, or placemaking, Atlanta’s historic Westside was already living those ideas. Homes, schools, businesses, shared spaces, and intergenerational leadership were not abstract concepts here. They were the lived infrastructure of thriving Black communities whose roots stretch back to the founding of the Atlanta University Center institutions in the […]

On Atlanta’s historic Westside, home has always meant more than an address. It means grandparents down the street. Church on Sunday. Kids walking to school with friends they’ve known since kindergarten. Neighbors who check in. As the Westside grows and new development reshapes the skyline, housing costs have risen — and many longtime residents are […]

Last month, on a cold January morning on the historic Westside, neighbors, partners and city leaders gathered to celebrate 57 new, deeply affordable homes on blocks that had sat vacant for decades. For longtime residents of English Avenue and Vine City, the opening of 646 Echo Street and 839 Boone Boulevard was less a ribbon-cutting […]

For generations, Atlanta’s historic Westside neighborhoods have been places of resilience, leadership, and community — shaped by the people who have long called them home. As reinvestment continues across the Westside, Westside Future Fund remains focused on a guiding principle: growth should strengthen existing communities, not displace them. That commitment extends beyond housing affordability. It […]

Progress is underway at 390 Sunset. After pausing in 2023 due to the discovery of an undocumented trunk sewer line beneath the property, construction on the 26-unit development is officially moving forward. While unexpected infrastructure challenges can slow a project, they are also part of the reality of working in historic neighborhoods with layered systems […]

At February’s Transform Westside Summit, neighbors, partners, and supporters gathered to reflect on a year of meaningful progress — and to recommit to the work ahead. WFF President & CEO John Ahmann and Jon Ingram, WFF’s Chief Development Officer opened the Summit by welcoming attendees, thanking the sponsors and supporters who make these monthly gatherings […]