One truth many of us prefer to shy from is the fact that even under normal circumstances, the country's #economy isn't what it used to be... and Atlanta's economy is suffering greatly. Despite the best attempts of Atlanta City Council, the residents of our city are finding it harder than ever to make their #rent payments. This was already the case before the pandemic lockdowns, but that certainly didn't help anything.

A lot of small businesses and startups have been run into the ground in recent years, and larger corporations have had to downsize by laying off employees in order to keep their heads above water. Our residents aren't exactly rolling in money right now. Yet rent continues to rise across the city and there doesn't seem to be any end in sight. It makes things way more difficult for people who do not own homes, because landlords can easily raise the rent and they will have to find a new place to live.

That is a significant problem for a lot of people. Most of us don't have a few thousand extra dollars stashed away just in case we suddenly have to move, and when you are already hurting for money, being able to pay the security deposit over a few months can make all the difference when it comes to being able to afford renting a new place.

In Atlanta, we need to make sure that we keep making efforts to alleviate some of the financial burden of finding a place to live. They are making attempts to meet these ends, and the City Council did the right thing by passing this ordinance to help citizens deal with some of the various expenses associated with being a new renter in the city.

The economic situation in the country requires people to have more affordable housing, not less, and the Renters Choice ordinance makes it possible for people to find a nicer (and hopefully more affordable) place to live. Before this, renters had to take on the full weight of a security deposits all at once. Now they can make payments on it or get rental security insurance, which is a lot easier to pay for than a hefty security deposit.

This law might make it a bit less streamlined for landlords, but it's better than leaving their properties empty because no one can afford to move in. Rents keep going up and a lot of people are being priced out of the homes they have lived in for years. It isn't reasonable for them to be penalized further by having to scrape together an expensive security deposit when they already can't afford to live in their established home. 

The City Council's move to mandate alternatives to security deposits clearly supports the best interests of the people of Atlanta. It attacks a burning issue head-on and provides a helpful, practical solution to the pressing problem.