Decatur Housing Authority’s Village at Legacy emerges as a beacon of hope and belonging.

It was a warm summer morning, alive with birdsong and the low rumble of construction activity, when an inspiring collection of community leaders, advocates, and neighbors gathered for what looked to be your standard groundbreaking celebration. But this wasn’t just about speeches and shovels. It was about something bigger—a declaration that Decatur is still a place for everyone.

The Village at Legacy, located in the southwestern corner of Decatur’s Legacy Park, is an emerging affordable housing community years in the making and now entering its second and final phase of construction. More than just a housing project, it’s a promise kept—a vision of inclusion shaped into buildings, gardens, trails, and homes.

(Left to Right) Former Decatur Housing CEO and executive director Douglas Faust, Decatur Housing Board Chair Melissa Heffner, Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett, CEO and Executive Director of Decatur Housing Larry Padilla, Legacy Park facilities manager Dorsey Nobles, and Decatur Mayor Pro Tem Tony Powers pose for a photo at the groundbreaking ceremony on June 18, 2025. PHOTO: Jim Bass for Decaturish, supportyourlocalnews.com.

Living Our Values

Born from the City’s 2017 purchase of the former United Methodist Children’s Home, Legacy Park was always meant to be more than just greenspace. Alongside recreational amenities, nonprofit offices, a protected forest, farm and orchard, housing was identified early on as central to the park’s vision. Not just any housing, but attainable, stable, and dignified housing for those increasingly excluded by rising prices and limited options.

Phase One of the Village at Legacy is delivering 66 homes later this summer, ranging from one to three-bedroom layouts. Phase Two, now officially underway, will add 66 more in 2026. Altogether, 132 families will gain access to thoughtfully designed homes with rents ranging from $1,000 to $2,000—well below Decatur’s current median rent and home prices, which continue to rise above regional averages.

But this story is about more than affordability.

It’s about a community choosing to live its values out loud. It’s about the single mom who works at the elementary school, the senior faced with leaving town due to rising rents, the healthcare worker who walks to MARTA to serve others, finally able to make a living where they’re living.

It’s about creating spaces that don’t just house people but help them thrive. Beyond the homes themselves, the Village offers a community center, green courtyard, business center, barbecue pavilion, and shared garden beds—opportunities for neighbors to gather, grow, and build something together. Multi-use trails, which surround the property, stand ready to connect families with schools, jobs, retail, and transit. And the Decatur Housing Authority’s wraparound services will be there to support residents in staying stable, healthy, and connected.

The Village's interior courtyard where raised flower beds are coming into bloom.

Walking the Talk

The gathering brought the vision into sharp focus. Mayor Patti Garrett, DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, Congressman Hank Johnson, and DHA CEO Larry Padilla all spoke to the project’s deeper purpose.

Padilla’s remarks echoed long after the event ended:

“Modern, safe, stable, attainable housing is not a luxury for a few—it’s a right for all of us. Let Village at Legacy be a model, not an exception.”

Indeed, the Village stands out. In a region struggling to deliver enough affordable housing fast enough, this project offers a rare combination: city-owned land, accessible affordability, and long-term stewardship. Rather than being developed for short-term profit, it’s being built for lasting impact.

And perhaps most importantly, it’s already working. For those seeking a residence here, the Village isn’t just an opportunity. It’s a homecoming. A chance to raise kids, plant roots, and participate fully in a community rapidly becoming financially out of reach.

A City of Decatur-branded cargo bike adds a bit of personality to stacked flats soon to be occupied.

A Living Example

This is what happens when a city aligns its policies with its principles. When it says that diversity is more than a slogan, and inclusion is more than a workshop. When it makes room for everyone: artists and nurses, elders and young families, all the people who make a city whole.

Soon, 132 homes will sit where there were once only dreams and drawings. Kids will discover acre upon acre of exploration and delight. Neighbors will share meals at picnic tables under the pavilion. And right there with them, this former Children’s Home property will bear quiet witness to a new kind of nurturing—one rooted not in charity, but in shared purpose.

The Village at Legacy isn’t a side project. It’s a guiding star. A living example of what it means to build, quite literally, the kind of community we say we want to be.

Ambitious, yes, but a worthy vision for the future. Indeed, here in Decatur, that future has already begun.

Signage welcomes visitors to a model unit open for public inspection.

Schedule Your Picture-Perfect Wedding at Decatur's Legacy Park

Legacy Park offers an ideal setting for an enchanting wedding — from the intimate and historic Moore Chapel to a variety of scenic assets spread across the property. Nestled on the east side of Decatur, Georgia, Legacy Park is just a five minute drive from many restaurants, shops, and hotels. >> Get Started >>

Planning an Event? Legacy Park's Got You Covered for Events of all Types and Sizes

From baby showers to birthday parties, business gatherings to live performances, family reunions to festivals, we've got a wide range of facilities perfectly suited to your vision, all at pricing that can't be beat. Check out Legacy Park for your next event. We can't wait to work with you. >> Get Started >>