Office of Housing
Leadership
Dr. Alan Ferguson, Sr. Dr. Ferguson serves as the inaugural Chief Housing Officer for DeKalb County, a position established by CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson to advance her administration’s commitment to addressing affordable housing and homelessness. In this role, Dr. Ferguson leads the County’s comprehensive housing strategy-focusing on expanding affordable housing options, reducing homelessness, and fostering equitable community development throughout DeKalb.
A nationally recognized leader in affordable housing and community revitalization, Dr. Ferguson brings more than two decades of experience in real estate, public finance, and neighborhood investment. As the former Chief Housing & Real Estate Officer for Atlanta Housing, he spearheaded efforts that delivered more than 3,200 affordable housing units in FY25 alone, significantly contributing to the agency’s 10,000-unit goal and the City of Atlanta’s 20,000-unit target.
Previously, Dr. Ferguson served as President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity in Atlanta, where he restored the organization’s full production capacity post-COVID, diversified funding sources, and expanded development strategies to better serve families in need. During his eight years with Invest Atlanta, he directed community investment and housing policy initiatives that advanced inclusive economic growth. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at The American Opportunity Foundation and Fannie Mae’s American Communities Fund, where he structured innovative debt and equity investments to support neighborhood revitalization.
Dr. Ferguson is a proud alumnus of Morehouse College, Emory University, and Georgia State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from the University of the Cumberlands, solidifying his expertise at the intersection of housing policy, economic mobility, and sustainable development.
Born in Brooklyn and raised in South DeKalb, Dr. Ferguson brings both professional expertise and a personal connection to his new role. He resides in Edgewood with his wife of 30 years, is the proud father of two.
A Place to Call Home
What is Housing Development
Housing development is the process of intentionally building a place people can afford to live. It means expanding the supply of homes families can afford, helping first-time buyers become owners, keeping long-time homeowners in the houses they already have, financing the projects private capital alone cannot deliver, and making sure residents who lose housing can get back into it. Done well, it turns land, capital, and partnerships into stability, homes that hold families, neighborhoods that hold their character, and growth that does not price out the people who built the place.
Who we serve
First-time buyers ready to own. Homeowners fighting to stay. Working families, seniors, and residents who are unhoused. Developers building what the county needs. The nonprofits and faith partners doing the work on the ground.
Housing is how DeKalb County turns land, capital, and partnerships into stability, ownership, and generational wealth.
A recent study found DeKalb trailing much of metro Atlanta in affordable, workforce, market-rate, and senior housing. Rents rise faster than wages. Legacy homeowners face repairs they cannot afford. The people who staff our schools, hospitals, and emergency services increasingly cannot afford to live here.
The FY2027 budget answered with the largest housing commitment in DeKalb's history: the County's first office dedicated solely to housing and a $12 million Housing Investment Fund, growing to $15 million annually in FY2028, to create or preserve 15,000 homes. Led by Chief Housing Officer Dr. Alan Ferguson, Sr., the office delivers down payment assistance, home repair programs, multifamily gap financing, and expanded services for residents experiencing homelessness, alongside DeKalb's first comprehensive housing plan and a countywide zoning rewrite.
Whether you are buying your first home, repairing the one you raised a family in, financing a development, or looking for help tonight, this page is your starting point.
Watch and listen
Hear it from the people doing the work.
Press conference
FY2027 Budget Announcement
CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and county leaders unveil the housing investment, alongside FY2027 commitments to public safety, healthcare, workforce development and infrastructure.
CEO Lecture Series
A Candid Conversation on the State of Housing
Industry leaders, housing experts, developers and community stakeholders on affordability, homeownership, workforce housing, supply and demand, and development trends.
The Bigger Picture
A Conversation on Housing in DeKalb County
Dr. Ferguson and Commissioner Chakira Johnson on rising rents, homelessness, housing diversity, the zoning rewrite, and where residents can turn if they are worried about staying housed.
Podcast
DeKalb County on The ATL Leadership Forum
Chief Development Officer Jacob Vallo and Dr. Ferguson on development, investment and the road ahead for housing in DeKalb.