May 6th Election: Affordable Housing Crisis Dominates Athens City Council Race

Ethan Hofer

May 6th marks an important day in Athens, as changes to the city council will be made, and longtime member and president of the city council, Sam Crowl will not seek reelection. 1st Ward candidates Anthony Jacobs and Megan Almeida look to replace Solveig Spjeldnes, who will also be stepping down. At-Large incumbents Beth Clodfelter and Jessica Thomas seek reelection but face competition from first-time candidates Ari Faber and Paul Isherwood. Those who win in the primaries will advance to the general election on Tuesday, November 4th. After the primaries, only independent or non-party-affiliated candidates may enter the general election race.

The Athens Community Center hosted the Democratic candidacy forum for the At-Large candidates on March 26th and the 1st Ward candidacy forum on March 31st, where each candidate took questions from the public and the press. Amongst the questions asked, the most popular question regarded housing, its skyrocketing prices and poor conditions, unsurprisingly, considering that the Athens County Foundation’s 2024 housing report was concerning. The report highlighted a severe shortage of affordable housing, especially for low-income residents, noting that only 3.5 affordable units are available for every 10 households classified as extremely low-income. It also pointed out that since 2018, both rental and home prices have risen significantly, further limiting housing options for many families.

Candidates from the 1st Ward, which includes areas like West State Street and West Union Street, responded to two key questions from the public focused on housing affordability. They were asked, “Why are you qualified to represent both homeowners and tenants alike?” and “What are some ways rental housing in the city could be improved?”

Almeida first mentioned that she had been “a longtime renter and two-time homeowner,” which she believes helps her understand the struggles of both a homeowner and a renter. On the topic of rental housing, Almedia believes that “Expanding the code office would help,” she said. “If we had an extra code officer or a bigger staff, maybe we would be able to educate, provide more information resources for landlords, just show ways of working together more cooperatively, I feel, would bring a lot of positive change.”

Almedia and Jacobs both agree that landlords need to be held accountable, with Jacobs answering the rental housing question by wanting to “implore these landlords to just have some pride in their properties.” Jacobs also felt as though he was qualified to lead the 1st Ward since being elected chair of the Athens West Side Community Association and living “in the heart of the West Side neighborhood.”

Megan Almeida, Anthony Jacobs and the public share a mutual concern about housing in Athens, with both candidates promising to cut down the costs and improve the conditions of housing in the years to come.

Among the four At-Large candidates, it also remained clear that there was a sense of urgency to resolve the housing crisis. One of the subjects posed at the forum regarded the Spire Development’s Pomeroy Landing project, where affordable housing was to be built on Pomeroy Road. However, due to an outcry from residents, the project was cancelled, and the housing shortage still needs to be resolved in the city.

Amongst this subject, Isherwood commented, “The most people with the biggest need are people at the low-income level. So, we really do need to do that. If we create affordable housing at that lower income level, it would reduce pressure on the overall housing market and free up housing stock to help make more access to other housing for people across the economic range.”

Those with low income have seemingly been hit the hardest with this housing crisis as opposing candidate Ari Faber said, “[We need to make sure] that we’re not pricing people that already live here out of their homes.” According to the 2024 housing report, the number of rental units priced below $1,000 a month has decreased by 28%, while the number of units priced at $1,000 a month or more has increased by 59% in the past year.

At-Large candidates were also asked about the balance of the beauty of Athens, whilst trying to make it economically viable. “We all love Athens for this beauty, the bricks and the old homes. Things cluttering yards and porches decrease a lot of that beauty,” said Faber, as he, along with many other individuals suggested that stronger code enforcement is needed if Athens wants to maintain that beauty in the housing area.

Incumbent Beth Clodfelter argued, “There’s a balance there, trying to keep our community looking good, but also not infringing on the individual rights of homeowners,” with fellow incumbent Jessica Thomas agreeing and willing to meet the other candidates halfway on their points about code enforcement.

As Athens approaches the May 6th election, affordable housing has taken center stage in the city council race. Candidates across both the 1st Ward and At-Large positions have acknowledged the deepening crisis and voiced strong support for code enforcement, increased accountability, and inclusive housing policies. While there seemed to be disagreements on how to tackle this issue, there is a shared urgency to protect low-income residents and preserve the character of Athens. Voters will play a critical role in shaping how Athens tackles its housing challenges moving forward.