Bakari Brooks, president and CEO of Brooks Built Homes, joins host Carol Morgan for this week’s Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio episode. In this podcast segment, Brooks shines a light on how Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Metro Atlanta is fighting the Atlanta affordable housing crisis.

Brooks Built Homes is a metro Atlanta homebuilder mainly focused on custom single-family homes and some multi-family developments. Still, Brooks said he looks forward to securing some larger-scale projects this year. Theme-based communities and active adult living are just a few ideas that Brooks Built Homes plans to add to the Atlanta market.

He emphasizes the core values of Brooks Built Homes – quality, honesty and integrity. The Atlanta homebuilder also relies on referrals versus advertising, establishing a personal feel and trust that blossoms from word-of-mouth recommendations.

Brooks also serves as a chairman for Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Metro Atlanta. In his role, he has already implemented many new programs and initiatives to reach lower-income individuals in Cobb, Douglas and Paulding counties, including the 40 for 40 campaign to celebrate the organization’s 40th anniversary in 2026.

What is the Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Metro Atlanta 40 For 40 Campaign?

The 40 For 40 campaign is still in the planning stages, but a few key moves are being discussed.

Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Metro Atlanta will update its home design to reflect a more modern aesthetic. Brooks points out the stigmatism of “not in my backyard” that must be worked around to ensure that residents feel comfortable and secure in their communities. The current home design is a bit dated, so the organization is working diligently to create a new one.

“I believe if you change the design, and you make it appealing and desirable, then the local community, the neighbors, are going to say, ‘Hey, I want to live in a house like that,’” said Brooks. “And then all of a sudden, you can easily create these communities. So, getting a modern design that really integrates into current standards is critical.”

Brooks wants to change how the organization raises money for home sponsorships. Instead of relying on single sponsorships, one family, one home, he explains that pooling sponsorship funds creates more funding opportunities.

There is a need for private-sector development partnerships. Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Metro Atlanta plans to establish relationships with local developers with experience in large-scale communities.

“The reality is that successful large-scale home builders have already figured out the recipe for building communities,” said Brooks. “Don't need to reinvent the wheel; we just need to tap into that experience, into that skill set, access the resources to realize our goal of building more affordable homes.”

What challenges are facing the affordable housing crisis in Atlanta?

The cost of land and building materials contribute to the affordable housing crisis in Atlanta, making it difficult to serve the growing number of applicants for Habitat for Humanity housing. Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Georgia is 100% volunteer labor and averages $165,000 per home. The organization currently builds 10 homes a year, but even with the 40 For 40 campaign around the corner, there is still some concern about serving enough individuals.

“We had 1,000 applicants for 10 houses, so think about that,” said Brooks. “And out of that 1,000, only 64 met the qualifications to be placed into a Habitat Home Ownership Program, not because they weren't in need, they just were in the greatest amount of need.”

The model for lowering home prices seems simple, but it is complicated by government regulations and other factors. Brooks explains that you “lower the cost of dirt, increase density, and the cost of the home is going to fall.” There is also a need for smaller homes that homebuyers can afford. Zoning doesn’t favor 1,