On Oct. 15, about 200 community leaders, housing advocates, public officials and philanthropic partners gathered at The Carter Center in Atlanta to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership (ANDP). The event highlighted the nonprofit’s growth from a modest neighborhood‑strengthening effort into a regional affordable‑housing developer and community‑development financial institution.
Key milestones
Since its 1991 founding by former Mayor Maynard H. Jackson Jr. and community‑development pioneer Hattie B. Dorsey, ANDP has expanded housing opportunities for lower‑income residents across metro Atlanta. The organization’s 2020 “Closing the Gap” initiative accelerated its impact, and by Dec. 2025 ANDP and its partners had developed or financed 4,721 affordable homes and apartments, invested nearly $228 million in affordable housing, and supported more than $1.1 billion in total development costs.
Honorees
Bruce Gunter, president of Civitas Housing Group, received the Hattie B. Dorsey Award for Excellence in Community Development. Gunter co‑founded Progressive Redevelopment Inc., which built over 4,000 affordable apartments and transformed Atlanta’s historic Imperial Hotel into supportive housing. He also served on Habitat for Humanity and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council.
Gunter said, “Whether one calls it a mission, a calling, or answering some inner drive to help people, that is the glue that binds us, that lifts us up and calls us to our better angels.” He added, “This moment, our time is now. We have much work to do, and we cannot wait.”
Kenneth “Ken” Woods was honored with the J. Ronald Terwilliger Award for Board Service. A retired banking executive, Woods served on ANDP’s board from 2009 to 2019, including two years as chair. His financial expertise helped the organization navigate the post‑foreclosure‑crisis environment and strengthen its lending operations. ANDP President Ashani Collins O’Mard praised his mentorship, noting, “Ken poured into me and always encouraged me to lean into that moxie that’s always been there.” Woods affirmed his continued involvement, saying, “I’m not going anywhere.”
The Annie E. Casey Foundation received the Edward E. Lusk Jr. Award for Excellence in Community Development Partnership. The foundation’s Atlanta Civic Site has invested in distressed‑property revitalization, affordable‑home restoration, and the Pittsburgh Yards mixed‑use development, which provides entrepreneurship and economic‑opportunity space for local residents.
Foundation representative Amanda Jaquez highlighted the partnership’s impact, noting that together they have returned more than 50 vacant properties to productive affordable‑home use and expanded permanently affordable homeownership through the Atlanta Land Trust. She also warned of ongoing need, recalling a recent visit to Gideons Elementary School where the principal reported 30 families experiencing homelessness.
Looking ahead
ANDP’s leadership emphasized that the anniversary is not a culmination but a call to continue expanding affordable‑housing options for Atlanta’s families, seniors and vulnerable residents. The organization plans to leverage its financing expertise and community partnerships to address the region’s housing shortage and promote economic stability for future generations.
Original reporting: SaportaReport — read the source article.
