2025 Year-End Roundtable: What Moved the Needle on Attainable and Missing Middle Housing in North Fulton
In this 2025 year-end edition of North Fulton Voices, Nancy Diamond, Jack Murphy, Kathy Swahn and John Ray look back at a momentous year for the North Fulton Improvement Network (NFIN) and the region’s attainable housing conversation. They ground the recap in two sobering realities: metro Atlanta lost 230,000 low- and mid-income homes from 2018 to 2023, and in many municipalities it can take seven years to go from concept to occupancy for new housing.
The panel explains how the conversation moved from awareness to influence, with NFIN’s framing and data showing up more consistently in planning discussions and public meetings. They point to a broader shift in how leaders and residents are talking about housing, including its connection to quality of life, workforce stability, and long-term economic health.
They also point out key factors from 2025 that helped build momentum, such as the need for people to get involved in comprehensive planning, a clear change in local election discussions, and a North Fulton Forum that gathered banks, employers, schools, nonprofits, and federal partners to discuss funding and practical ways to implement solutions.
In 2026, the group identifies three key areas of focus: enhancing public understanding of zoning, normalizing solutions that people can visualize, and maintaining high participation in comprehensive plan processes. The message is unambiguous; this work moves when everyday residents and employers show up, learn the language, and keep asking better questions.
North Fulton Voices is presented by the North Fulton Improvement Network. The show series is proudly sponsored by John Ray Co. and North Fulton Business Radio, LLC.
Key Takeaways from This Episode
Metro Atlanta lost 230,000 low- and mid-income homes (2018–2023), and the timeline for new housing can stretch to seven years from concept to occupancy.
NFIN frames the issue as financial vulnerability, not a narrow poverty category. Many households are one expense away from needing help.
The conversation is shifting from awareness to influence, with more traction in planning and leadership dialogue.
Comprehensive plans are a major leverage point because they shape housing and infrastructure decisions upstream.
We now clearly link attainable and unaffordable middle-class housing to workforce stability and local competitiveness.
Capital matters if solutions are going to scale. Partnerships with banks, employers, nonprofits, and government are part of the path forward.
A practical next step for listeners is to engage locally, understand zoning basics, and participate in comprehensive plan processes.