The Atlanta City Council approved the City’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget and the Opportunity for All: Neighborhood Reinvestment Act during Monday’s Full Council meeting, marking one of the most significant investment and policy moments in recent Atlanta history.
The milestone comes as Atlanta continues welcoming visitors from around the world during FIFA World Cup 2026 — placing the city on a global stage while leaders advance long-term investments designed to shape Atlanta’s future for decades to come.
Together, the approved budget and Neighborhood Reinvestment Act represent a major step toward expanding opportunity, strengthening neighborhoods and preparing Atlanta for continued growth through investments in housing, infrastructure, economic mobility and quality of life.
A Historic Investment in Atlanta’s Future
City Council adopted Mayor Andre Dickens’ FY2027 budget, a balanced $3.2 billion spending plan that includes a $994.6 million General Fund budget and continues the Administration’s commitment to safe communities, strong families, thriving neighborhoods and opportunity for all residents.
Originally proposed by Mayor Andre Dickens in May, the budget builds on four years of progress while continuing the City’s commitment to neighborhoods, families and the systems residents rely on every day.
City leaders say the spending plan reflects Mayor Andre Dickens’ continued focus on making Atlanta “the best major city in the country to raise a child” through investments that touch nearly every aspect of daily life.
Key priorities include:
• Public safety investments in APD, AFRD and E911
• Affordable housing production and preservation
• Youth engagement programs and workforce development
• Infrastructure improvements across roads, bridges, parks and water systems
• Neighborhood revitalization and long-term economic opportunity
The budget also supports continued implementation of the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative while maintaining Atlanta’s strong financial position.
Neighborhood Reinvestment Act Establishes Historic Framework for Opportunity
The Opportunity for All: Neighborhood Reinvestment Act, introduced by Mayor Andre Dickens, has been described by the Administration as “the most comprehensive neighborhood investment and anti-displacement legislative package in the City’s history.”
The legislation is designed to create a long-term framework for measuring the success of public investment not simply by what gets built, but by whether residents’ lives measurably improve as a result.
The package focuses on:
• Affordable housing production and preservation
• Anti-displacement protections
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic mobility and wealth creation
• Infrastructure and redevelopment planning
• Public accountability and reporting
According to the Administration, the legislation organizes future investments around three major pillars: displacement prevention, neighborhood stabilization and wealth creation.
The package is built around six interconnected reforms, including a new NRI Impact Framework, the extension of six Tax Allocation Districts, creation of a City Council-controlled NRI Trust Fund, updates to the Invest Atlanta intergovernmental agreement, reforms to TAD Advisory Committees and a comprehensive Anti-Displacement Playbook featuring more than 20 proposed protections for legacy residents and businesses.
Supporters say the framework is intended to help ensure that the people and neighborhoods that remained resilient through decades of disinvestment are able to benefit from Atlanta’s continued growth and prosperity.
Mayor Andre Dickens: “All of Atlanta Deserves the Best of Atlanta”
Mayor Andre Dickens said the actions approved Monday represent a defining moment for the city’s future.
“Today is one of those moments where Atlanta chooses what kind of city we are going to become. For generations, Atlanta has been a city that creates opportunity, but we must also acknowledge a hard truth—that opportunity has not reached every neighborhood or every family equally.
“For too long, we have lived with the reality of two Atlantas, where a child’s ZIP code can determine their access to housing, education, economic opportunity and even how long they are expected to live. That is unacceptable, and today we are taking historic action to close the book on a tale of two cities.
“The Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative is about closing those gaps. It is about investing in the neighborhoods and people who built Atlanta, protecting legacy residents, creating pathways to prosperity, and making sure every child — no matter where they are born — has the chance to dream, grow, and thrive.
“As we welcome the world for FIFA World Cup 2026, we are showing the world the best of Atlanta. But our greatest legacy will not be measured by what happens on the field. It will be measured by whether we used this moment to build a stronger, fairer city for the generations who will call Atlanta home long after the final whistle.
“Because all of Atlanta deserves the best of Atlanta.”
