Clarkston’s Willow Branch Apartments, a 1970s-era complex that hundreds of families call home, is on track to stay affordable as its longtime owner teams up with the Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb on a preservation deal. The plan would let the housing authority acquire and retrofit the 186-unit property, tie rents to local income levels, and pay for abatement and renovation work. Tenants and advocates say the move could keep families who rely on on-site services from being pushed out as rents climb across the region.
What the plan covers
According to Decide DeKalb, the Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb is proposing to buy the 13.7-acre Willow Branch property at 822 N. Indian Creek Drive and preserve all 186 apartments for households earning up to 55% of the area median income. The fact sheet notes that the redevelopment is backed by a 4% low-income housing tax credit award from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to help make the numbers work.
Financing and public review
The housing authority’s public notice shows the agency is weighing the issuance of up to $23 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds to loan to HADC Willow Branch, LP. That financing would cover the acquisition, rehabilitation and abatement work on the site. The notice also sets a Feb. 2, 2026 TEFRA hearing and directs the public to the authority’s Decatur office for records and comments, according to the Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb.
A landlord with a social model
Owner Margaret “Marjy” Stagmeier, who bought Willow Branch in 1996, has built a reputation for pairing property management with on-site social programming, and local profiles say the complex serves roughly 700 residents. Her nonprofit Star‑C, launched in 2014, runs after-school, wellness and eviction-relief programs at Willow Branch and at other communities, according to HandsOnAtlanta.
Residents and reaction
Residents and program leaders say locking in affordability at Willow Branch would bring badly needed stability for families who count on those services. Paul Mvukiye‑Reeser, who leads a “peaceful playground” program at the complex, told 11Alive that living at Willow Branch “made him a more loving, kind, compassionate person,” a sentiment many tenants hope they can keep building on without the fear of displacement.
Why this matters for DeKalb
The deal comes as county and housing officials are leaning hard on preservation strategies to blunt displacement in the face of rising rents. DeKalb County has rolled out funding and programs aimed at preventing evictions and growing the affordable housing supply. Local partners have also gone after brownfields cleanup support and other public financing tools to keep the rehab feasible, according to DeKalb County and Decide DeKalb.
What comes next
If the financing and public-review steps fall into place, HADC and its partners say the work will include hazardous-materials abatement, upgrades to building systems and a community involvement plan that has already gone through a round of public comment. Residents and advocates will be tracking formal approvals and the timeline for tenant protections as the project shifts from proposal to construction, and the authority’s public records, including the TEFRA notice, spell out where interested parties can dig into the details.
