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How one Atlanta pop-up baker gets things done
With the rise of pop-up shops, small businesses are increasingly going beyond the brick-and-mortar. The new model offers a low barrier to...
Apr 15, 20245 min read


Join us for our first ATL Living Lab
Our new event series is part block party, part charrette with interactive exhibits and expert panels designed to demystify the...
Mar 27, 20241 min read


Why isn’t affordable housing . . . affordable?
How the government determines “fair rent,” where it fails, and why you suffer
Mar 22, 20244 min read

“We don’t have enough to keep it going”
A program providing driving classes to refugee and immigrant women is on hold due to lack of funds
Mar 21, 20243 min read


How much did you pay for your first apartment?
Readers and Canopy Atlanta staff members weigh in
Mar 19, 20242 min read


The changing face of harm reduction
The Cooper Center works to reduce risks associated with homelessness, mental health crises, pregnancy, and substance use.
Mar 14, 20246 min read


4 takeaways from a recent Senate hearing on negligent landlords in Georgia
U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff listened as tenants described unsanitary and dangerous conditions in the places where they lived
Mar 7, 20242 min read

What makes a state a good place to do business? (And what does that mean for workers?)
For the 10th year, Georgia is the country’s “top state for business.” Here’s the story behind the superlative.
Feb 16, 20249 min read


The great divide
Fulton County's property tax system exacerbates inequality between the north and south—and between Atlanta’s richest and poorest homeowners.
Feb 15, 20246 min read


On Buford Highway, a little grocery store with a big mission
The Little Bodega is a free grocery pop-up that models a new way of feeding families in need
Feb 7, 20244 min read


Christmas is over. But Santa still has to make a living.
During the holidays, André is the Black Santa of Atlanta. For the rest of the year, he’s a firearms safety instructor, a husband, and a dad.
Jan 31, 20241 min read


Listening Insights: Year in Review
The Cost of Living Project has spoken to hundreds of people (from 54 zip codes and counting). Here’s what we’ve learned so far.
Jan 18, 20241 min read


For seasonal employees, short-term work has its ups and downs
Holiday work no longer means ringing up purchases at the department store. Still, there’s room for the occasional Santa. It’s a busy...
Dec 24, 20235 min read


When givers can’t give
People are donating a smaller share of their income than at any point in decades. But Atlantans are still finding other ways to help.
Dec 21, 20235 min read


“Your life doesn’t start in the U.S. until you have reliable transportation”
Driving lessons are hard to come by. These nonprofits are working to give immigrants and refugees mobility in car-dependent metro Atlanta.
Dec 15, 20234 min read


15 ways to give this holiday season
Here are a selection of the best opportunities to give a little money from around the Atlanta area.
Dec 8, 20234 min read


(Most) everything you need to know about Housing Choice Vouchers, aka Section 8
The program waitlist is open for the first time since 2021—but only for a few days. Here are the FAQs about HCVs.
Oct 17, 20232 min read


A senior sees Bankhead progressing—and leaving folks behind
Vanessa Alexander stays rooted in her community with a prayer line, Bible studies, and neighborhood cookouts
Oct 17, 20233 min read


Rising property taxes have complicated this artist's retirement plan
Susan McCracken on the importance of community—and her dream of moving to the mountains
Oct 13, 20234 min read


A full-time caregiver navigates rising rent, aging family, and parenthood
Woolridge's new home is “a land of opportunity,” a center of “Black excellence,” and a healthcare desert
Oct 10, 20233 min read


Meet the Cost of Living fellows
Members of our inaugural fellowship cohort will support the reporting needs of the project—and pursue stories of their own
Sep 12, 20232 min read


Join the Cost of Living Project!
We're giving 8 teens $100 (+ a disposable camera) each to photograph their neighborhood
Sep 12, 20231 min read


In between jobs in Grant Park
This 56-year-old former real estate analyst likes to joke that she’s another local living the life of “home-loaner-ship"
Sep 8, 20233 min read


Hope for a Post-it note
A lifelong Grove Park resident on what it’s like to be caught in a gentrification feedback loop
Sep 8, 20235 min read


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