Historic District Development

About Historic District Development

Historic District Development Corporation’s latest reported grant was a single $2,008,211 operating support award to Hddc Equitable Development Corporation in Atlanta. That one grant sits alongside a clear place-based pattern: the foundation funds redevelopment, preservation, and community infrastructure in the Sweet Auburn Historic District and Old Fourth Ward, with work tied to long-term affordability, Black cultural history, and neighborhood-led development. Its active programs show how those goals are put into practice. Affordable housing efforts include shared-equity homeownership and multifamily rental development intended to keep homes affordable over time. Arts and culture work centers the cultural significance of Sweet Auburn and Old Fourth Ward, including space for exhibitions and community use. The Front Porch initiative adds urban agriculture, food access, and local economic activity through farmers markets, garden installations, and support for Black urban farmers. The foundation also operates rental event space at 348 Auburn Avenue NE, linking site activation with program revenue. Across these programs, the common thread is stewardship of specific Atlanta neighborhoods rather than broad regional grantmaking.

What Historic District Development Funds

Affordable housing is one of the foundation’s clearest priorities. Through its Affordable Housing program, Historic District Development Corporation supports redevelopment projects in Sweet Auburn that combine shared-equity homeownership with multifamily affordable rentals. That program is explicitly tied to long-term affordability and neighborhood revitalization. Urban agriculture is another defined area of work. The Front Porch initiative focuses on food access, community economic development, and opportunities for Black urban farmers through pop-up farmers markets, farm-to-table relationships with restaurants, and garden installations. Arts and culture also play a central role. The Arts & Culture Program supports the cultural significance of Old Fourth Ward and Sweet Auburn, including use of the redeveloped Haugabrooks building as an affordable art gallery and event space. The Mtamanika Youngblood Curator-in-Residence Program extends that focus with support for three exhibitions over 12 months on Black history and culture.

How Historic District Development Gives