Author Archives: Westside Future Fund

Westside Future Fund (WFF) is proud to celebrate another member of our community finding a home on the Westside. Last month, Dr. Alix Pierre purchased a home in the English Avenue neighborhood. As a professor at Spelman College, Dr. Pierre meets WFF’s community retention guidelines for its signature high-quality, affordable housing program, Home on the […]

In the latest installment of our Finding Home on the Westside series, meet Nedra Louis. Nedra has been a resident of the Westside her entire life, living on Ashby Terrace for 20 years. Several years ago, she experienced health challenges, including being diagnosed with COPD, a chronic inflammatory lung disease. Due to being hospitalized and […]

Community members and business leaders gathered at the June 21 Transform Westside Summit centered around the topic “Housing is Health.” The Summit emphasized the interconnection between housing stability and overall health outcomes, and featured insightful discussions from key representatives of Kaiser Permanente, including Stefanie Hurst, Senior Director of Community Health, and Dr. Sylvia Morris, MD, MPH, Hospitalist and Area Physician […]

As we commemorate National Homeownership Month, Westside Future Fund (WFF) takes pride in celebrating the strides we’ve made in transforming lives and communities through our Home on the Westside (HOTW) program. Last year, we  celebrated significant milestones that underscore our commitment to providing high-quality housing and financial stability to residents with deep ties to the historic Westside […]

Westside Future Fund’s (WFF) annual “running, walking, and biking” event Ride for the Westside (RFTW) is back for a third year! WFF is grateful to Chick-fil-A for being the inaugural presenting sponsor for this year’s event. Bringing together residents, community organizations, businesses, and supporters of the historic Westside, RFTW celebrates the legacy of some of Atlanta’s […]

Westside Future Fund celebrated the closing day for new Home on the Westside homeowner Sean Scott. Scott purchased a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in the English Avenue neighborhood. This is the third closing WFF has celebrated through its signature program in 2024. Scott is an Atlanta native and currently works as an IT professional with the […]

The May 17 Transform Westside Summit brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss the balance between affordable and market-rate housing in creating vibrant, healthy and inclusive neighborhoods and highlighted the neighborhood revitalization efforts of the Grove Park Foundation. Candace Wheeler, Communications Manager, Westside Future Fund, and Ebony Ford, Director of Community Building & Engagement, Quest Community Development Corporation, […]

In 2020, Westside Future Fund launched its Program Related Investments PRIs. PRIs are low-cost loans made with favorable terms to support the growth of minority enterprises. WFF provided these PRIs to small, minority-owned businesses that are based in or serving Atlanta’s historic Westside. Unlike traditional banking institutions, PRIs offer a viable solution to organizations that are […]

Westside Future Fund (WFF) celebrated the appointment of T. Dallas Smith as Chair of its Board of Directors in a private reception this month. A prominent figure in Atlanta’s real estate sector and a native son of the historic Westside, Smith has a profound commitment to community development and a personal connection to the neighborhoods […]

We are thrilled to share the exciting news of Justin Jones’ home closing through Westside Future Fund’s Home on the Westside program. Justin embodies the spirit of community retention as both an alumnus and current employee of Morehouse College, residing right here on Atlanta’s Westside. With the support of Westside Future Fund and our partners, including Invest […]

Atlanta’s Historic Westside is a beacon of activism, where courageous Black leaders from the late 19th century through the Civil Rights Movement and up to the present day have tirelessly championed change and justice. Despite facing severe adversities, including violence, these leaders have significantly influenced not only the neighborhoods of the Westside but also the […]

Community leaders, stakeholders, and special guests convened at The Gathering Spot for Westside Future Fund’s March 15 Transform Westside Summit to discuss the revitalization and preservation of the MLK, Jr. Drive Corridor. Hosted by John Ahmann and Ebony Ford, the event featured insightful discussions and presentations aimed at driving positive change in the historic Westside neighborhoods. The morning […]

Kristen Folsom has always felt a connection to the historic Westside. She remembers coming to Atlanta, as a child, to visit her cousin who lived on Fair Street. “I knew then that I wanted Atlanta to be my home and I wanted to be in this area,” said Folsom. She eventually pursued her dream of […]

Westside Future Fund (WFF) has released our 2023 Impact Report, unveiling a wealth of organizational achievements through the calendar year as the organization pushes forward into Our Next Chapter for the historic Westside. We’re excited to share our progress in making our vision a reality.  Building Community with Transform Westside Summits We welcomed hundreds of attendees […]

Westside residents, community members, and business leaders attended the February 16 Transform Westside Summit to hear from Venessa Harrison, AT&T’s Coastal States President, and the pivotal role of corporate partnerships, particularly with AT&T, in driving neighborhood restoration efforts.   Dr. Kimberley Hundley, Behavioral Health Specialist, House of Cherith and Home on the Westside homeowner led the devotion.  John Ahmann, Westside Future Fund President and […]

Raymond Hill has been a resident of the historic Westside for decades. He and his family, including his mother and siblings lived in the area for many years during his youth. When Hill became a father with a family of his own, he remained in the neighborhood while raising his children. Over the last three […]

Community members and business leaders gathered at the January 19 Transform Westside Summit to hear from Quest Community Development Corporation’s President and CEO Leonard L. Adams Jr. Leonard shared insights into Quest’s impactful journey and its commitment to serving vulnerable populations. The morning opened with connection and community building, where attendees shared resources for the group’s collective efforts to improve […]

Westside Future Fund (WFF) was honored to host former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary and Mayor of San Antonio Henry Cisneros, and a delegation from San Antonio, including ESTAR West, at WFF’s headquarters earlier this year. The delegation included 35 leaders from the Westside of San Antonio, across industries including education, neighborhood groups, city government, economic […]

For T. Dallas Smith, accepting the role as chairman of the Board of Directors for Westside Future Fund (WFF) was a full-circle moment. Smith grew up in Hunter Hills, off Simpson Road on Child’s Drive. Today, it’s known as Joseph E. Boone. His mother was an entrepreneur, running a daycare in his childhood home. His […]

Westside Future Fund had the honor of welcoming over 1,400 volunteers to over 10 sites throughout the historic Westside for our annual MLK Day of Service on January 15. Together, we worked to make a transformative impact on the community in which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and many other Civil Rights leaders lived, learned, […]