ANDP Marks 35 Years With $1.1 Billion in Development

More than $1.1 billion in total development costs was the headline figure shared at the 35th anniversary celebration of the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership on October 15. Nearly 200 community leaders, housing advocates, and public officials gathered at The Carter Center for the event. The gathering recognized the partnerships that have sustained the organization since its founding in 1991.

ANDP was established through the vision of former Atlanta Mayor Maynard H. Jackson Jr. and community development pioneer Hattie B. Dorsey. The group started with a focus on strengthening neighborhoods for lower-income residents. Over three decades, it evolved into a regional nonprofit housing developer and community development financial institution. Growth accelerated in 2020 with the launch of the Closing the Gap initiative. By the end of that project in December 2025, ANDP and its partners had developed or financed 4,721 affordable homes and apartments. They also invested nearly $228 million specifically in affordable housing.

Four individuals and organizations received awards during the ceremony. 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 became Georgia’s largest nonprofit affordable housing developer. His organization developed more than 4,000 affordable apartments over 25 years. He also transformed the historic Imperial Hotel in downtown Atlanta into supportive housing.

Kenneth Woods, a retired banking executive, received the J. Ronald Terwilliger Award for Excellence in Community Development Board Service. Woods joined the ANDP Board in 2009 and served for nearly a decade, including two years as chair. His financial expertise helped the organization stabilize its operations after the foreclosure crisis. ANDP President Ashani Collins O’Mard thanked Woods for his personal mentorship during the presentation.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Atlanta Civic Site received the Edward E. Lusk Jr. Award for Excellence in Community Development Partnership. The foundation has worked with ANDP for more than 20 years. Together, they returned more than 50 vacant and distressed properties in the Pittsburgh neighborhood to productive use as affordable homes. The foundation also developed Pittsburgh Yards, a 31-acre former industrial site, into a center for entrepreneurship.

Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, CEO of DeKalb County, received the Maynard H. Jackson Award for Excellence in Community Development Public Policy. She was honored for making housing affordability a central priority of county government. Under her leadership, the county established its first chief housing officer and approved a $155 million housing bond. Cochran-Johnson told the audience that a budget is a moral document and that capitalism and decency can coexist.

The celebration concluded with a retrospective video featuring historic footage of Mayor Jackson announcing the organization’s formation. ANDP CEO John O’Callaghan closed the program by acknowledging rising housing costs and the growing number of families struggling to find affordable options.