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Neighbors For a United Atlanta

A stronger Atlanta starts in every neighborhood.

The Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative exists because not every part of Atlanta has shared equally in the city’s growth. Tax Allocation District extensions are the most scalable way to fund reinvestment by using local growth to pay for local improvements — without raising taxes.

Bottom line: the question is not whether reinvestment happens. The question is how Atlanta pays for it.

What supporters need to know

$0
New taxes required
TADs do not increase tax rates.
8
Active TADs
Existing tools already in place.
7
Initial focus areas
Pilot neighborhoods, citywide benefits.
3x
Private leverage
Public dollars can unlock more investment.
$5.5B
Identified citywide investment opportunities
7
Initial focus areas in the NRI strategy
8
Active TADs already in Atlanta
$0
New taxes required to use TADs
30+
Years of projected extension under discussion

Three steps. One simple idea.

A Tax Allocation District reinvests local growth back into the area where it happens. It does not raise tax rates, and it does not require a new tax.

1

Neighborhood needs investment

Some communities experienced decades of disinvestment in housing, infrastructure, commercial corridors, and public amenities.

2

Growth helps fund improvements

As investment and redevelopment increase property values, the new growth above the baseline is captured and reinvested locally.

3

The whole city benefits

Stronger neighborhoods create a larger tax base, safer corridors, more housing, more business activity, and stronger long-term public finances.

TAD extensions do not raise taxes. They use growth created within a district to help pay for the improvements that growth makes possible.

Answer the three big questions first.

Before people decide whether to support the NRI and TAD extensions, they usually want quick, plain-English answers.

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Does this raise my taxes?

No. TADs do not increase tax rates. They reinvest future growth in value within a defined area.

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Does this hurt schools?

No. The case for TADs is that they create growth that would not otherwise happen, while long-term value ultimately expands support for schools and public services.

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Why should I care if I don’t live there?

Because stronger neighborhoods mean a stronger city: more housing, more jobs, safer corridors, a broader tax base, and a more competitive Atlanta overall.

This is about more than one set of neighborhoods.

Atlanta’s future depends on whether growth reaches the parts of the city that have waited the longest to share in it.

When communities remain disconnected from investment, the entire city bears the cost: weaker corridors, lower tax productivity, higher infrastructure needs, fewer housing options, and missed economic potential.

Stronger corridors Better housing outcomes Safer routes and public spaces More business activity Broader tax base

One line to repeat

The Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative reinvests Atlanta’s growth into neighborhoods that have waited the longest to share in it.

Use it on social Use it in meetings Use it in emails

Address the criticism directly.

Opposition arguments are already circulating. This site should answer them clearly, not duck them.

Some TADs have generated visible results faster than others, especially where market pressure was already strong. The point of the NRI is to apply TAD financing more intentionally, alongside coordinated public investment, community planning, and anti-displacement tools so that underinvested areas can benefit too.
Growth without guardrails can increase displacement pressure. That is exactly why investment must be paired with affordability requirements, legacy resident protections, anti-displacement strategies, and community-led priorities. The goal is not displacement. The goal is for existing residents to benefit from reinvestment.
No. If that concern exists, the answer is stronger transparency, clearer reporting, and public accountability — not walking away from one of the city’s most scalable funding tools. This site should keep pushing for open reporting, public oversight, and real project transparency.
The NRI is moving forward regardless. The real question is whether Atlanta uses a self-financing tool tied to local growth, or leans more heavily on bonds, general fund dollars, or other citywide revenue sources. TADs are appealing because they are one of the most scalable ways to fund large capital investments without raising taxes.

Build the coalition. Share the case. Ask for a yes vote.

This campaign needs residents inside NRI areas, outside supporters, business leaders, neighborhood voices, and influencers using the same clear facts.

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Email decision-makers

Use your own words, but keep it direct: TAD extensions are the most scalable self-financing option on the table.

Template coming soon
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Share the message

Use the toolkit for talking points, graphics, captions, and myth-vs-fact content that supporters can repost.

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Join the coalition

Add your organization, business, or neighborhood group to the list of people publicly supporting smart, scalable reinvestment.

Atlanta’s growth has not reached every part of Atlanta equally.

The Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative exists because some neighborhoods still face the consequences of long-term disinvestment in housing, infrastructure, health, economic opportunity, and public amenities.

The city’s case is simple.

Not every neighborhood has shared equally in Atlanta’s success. The result is a city with extraordinary assets and extraordinary gaps.

That matters whether you live in Buckhead, Grove Park, Campbellton, Downtown, or anywhere else. Unbalanced growth affects economic mobility, public service demands, housing pressure, and the city’s long-term competitiveness.

Housing and affordability Transit and mobility Small business vitality Public safety and public space

What disinvestment looks like

Disinvestment is not just an abstract policy term. It shows up as aging infrastructure, blight, weak commercial corridors, missing grocery options, longer commutes, underused land, and fewer opportunities for families and children.

NRI works by combining projects, programs, and place.

The strategy is not just about building things. It is about aligning physical investment with policies and programs that help people stay, grow, and benefit.

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Right projects

Housing, grocery access, transit, trails, infrastructure, public realm improvements, and redevelopment of blighted or underused sites.

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Right programs

Anti-displacement tools, workforce supports, small business help, financial stability programs, owner-occupied rehab, and resident protections.

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Right places

Focused implementation in areas where need, opportunity, and community leadership already exist — while keeping the larger citywide goal in view.

Reinvestment must be paired with resident protection.

Bad outcome
Growth alone

Private market activity arrives without public guardrails. Existing residents face pressure and the city reacts too late.

Incomplete outcome
No scalable tool

The city still has to invest, but at smaller scale, more slowly, and likely using less efficient funding mechanisms.

Preferred outcome
Growth + protection

TAD financing is paired with affordability requirements, anti-displacement tools, and community-defined priorities.

Clearer answers help build trust.

Myth

“This only helps a few neighborhoods.”

The NRI starts with initial focus areas, but the case for reinvestment is citywide. When neighborhoods gain housing, business activity, and stability, the city’s overall strength grows too.

Fact

This is a citywide economic and civic issue.

Stronger corridors, broader tax productivity, safer routes, more housing choices, and better long-term public finances benefit the whole city, not just the neighborhoods where projects land first.

The NRI still needs funding. TADs are the most scalable option.

Opponents often debate whether reinvestment should happen at all. That is the wrong question. The practical question is how to fund it at scale.

This work moves forward either way.

If Atlanta is serious about the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative, then public investment will need to come from somewhere. TAD extensions matter because they use growth to help pay for that work instead of relying as heavily on broader city resources.

Status quo
Smaller scale

Without stronger tools, the city still invests — but with less flexibility, slower implementation, and fewer catalytic projects.

Alternative tools
More pressure elsewhere

Bonds, general fund dollars, and other tax-supported mechanisms can all play a role, but they shift pressure more broadly across city finances.

TAD extension
Most scalable

TADs remain one of the strongest ways to fund large capital projects by capturing future growth generated within a district.

The fiscal case is straightforward.

1

No new tax rate

TADs do not raise tax rates. That is the first thing many skeptical residents need to hear.

2

Future growth helps pay

The financing is tied to growth in value within the district, which is why supporters call it a self-financing tool.

3

Projects can happen sooner

Large capital needs often require a stronger financing mechanism than annual budgeting can provide.

Supporter message

TADs are not the only funding tool available. They are simply one of the few tools large enough to help deliver the scale of reinvestment the NRI calls for.

Criticism is not a reason to avoid clarity.

Myth

“TADs are just a slush fund.”

This is ultimately a trust and governance question. The answer is more transparency, stronger reporting, clear public approvals, and visible accountability.

Fact

The site should demand oversight and still make the case.

It is completely reasonable to support TAD extensions while also insisting on stronger project transparency, regular reporting, and clear community accountability.

Myth

“There is no rush.”

The urgency comes from the city’s growth, rising land costs, aging affordable housing, and the simple fact that reinvestment is already on the table.

Fact

Delay has a cost.

When the city waits, projects become more expensive, land gets harder to secure, affordability pressure increases, and neighborhoods remain vulnerable to market forces.

Turn agreement into action.

This campaign needs more than passive support. It needs people willing to email, share, recruit, and make the case publicly.

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Email officials

Use your own words. Keep it direct. Ask them to support the NRI and TAD extensions as the most scalable funding tool available.

Template coming soon
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Share on social

Use the toolkit to push out myth-vs-fact slides, captions, and simple TAD explainers your network can understand quickly.

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Bring a partner

Coalition strength matters. Recruit neighborhood leaders, businesses, faith leaders, and residents who want a stronger citywide case.

If you only say three things, say these.

TADs do not raise taxes.

That is the first misconception to correct.

The NRI still needs funding.

The real question is whether Atlanta uses the most scalable tool available.

A stronger city helps everyone.

This is not a “their neighborhood” issue. It is a citywide strength issue.

Facts you can share.

This page is for supporters, influencers, coalition partners, and anyone who needs a quick, accurate way to explain the case for the NRI and TAD extensions.

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One-page fact sheet

A quick overview of what TADs are, why the NRI matters, and the three most common misconceptions.

PDF coming soon
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Social graphics

Shareable visuals for Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and email newsletters.

Graphic pack coming soon
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Talking points

Short, repeatable language for media interviews, public meetings, neighborhood groups, and coalition partners.

Talking points coming soon

Myth vs. fact

Direct answers to the toughest questions we are hearing online and in community spaces.

FAQ pack coming soon

What this page should become

The toolkit should become the place outside supporters, businesses, neighborhood leaders, and influencers come to get the exact language city channels cannot always use.

Show up informed.

Community meetings, town halls, briefings, and coalition gatherings are part of how support gets built. Add your name to stay updated as events are posted.

TBD
Community information session
Location TBD • Time TBD

Open discussion about how the NRI works, why TAD extensions matter, and what residents are asking.

Community
TBD
Business and civic leaders briefing
Location TBD • Time TBD

A focused briefing on the economic and fiscal case for supporting the NRI and TAD extensions.

Briefing
TBD
Coalition organizing meeting
Location TBD • Time TBD

For residents, neighborhood leaders, and coalition partners who want to coordinate outreach and message discipline.

Organizing

Get notified when events are posted

Use this as a placeholder until your live signup form is ready.

A coalition for a stronger, more united Atlanta.

Neighbors For a United Atlanta brings together residents, business leaders, civic voices, and organizations that believe smart reinvestment strengthens the whole city.

We are making the public case for citywide reinvestment.

NFUA exists to build a coalition broad enough to make the case for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative beyond official city channels.

That means speaking clearly to people inside NRI areas, people outside TADs, skeptical taxpayers, neighborhood advocates, businesses, and influencers who want factual language they can share.

Mission

To build visible, citywide support for strategic reinvestment that helps Atlanta grow more fairly, more sustainably, and more strongly.

Atlanta works when all of Atlanta works.

NFUA values

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Unity

Atlanta’s future depends on every part of the city being able to participate in its growth.

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Evidence

We make the case with facts, data, transparency, and direct answers to hard questions.

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Inclusion

Support for reinvestment should not be limited by zip code, background, or political identity.

Action

This is not just an information hub. It is a coalition-building platform.

Contact NFUA

General inquiries

Email: info@neighborsforaunitedatl.org

Website: neighborsforaunitedatl.org

Social: @united4atl

Coalition partners

If your organization, business, faith community, or neighborhood group wants to support the campaign, reach out to be listed as a partner.

Partner signup coming soon