Renewing Community with Tenants and Contractors

Summer 2025 Update

We can thank God that our community loves to gather over good food.

Back when English Avenue was a thriving working-class community, it was known for its strong social ties and sense of connection. Fast forward 50 years, and much of American life is marked by isolation—especially in the years since the pandemic. But at oaksATL, part of our mission is to renew a community whose native character is built on front-porch conversations, shared meals, and neighbors who know each other by name. Thankfully, that mission gets a little easier in a neighborhood that loves a good cookout.

In April, our tenant “party planning committee” hosted Cookout in da Cut, our quarterly community gathering. Kids bounced for hours in a giant inflatable, adults swapped stories by the grill, and just about everyone walked away with a snow cone.

The next month, we celebrated another vital part of our community: our subcontractors. These skilled workers are the hands behind our high-quality housing. We honored their work the best way we know how, with top-tier fish tacos from a favorite local spot and a corn hole tournament.

Loneliness may be a national trend, and in English Avenue, it’s compounded by decades of disinvestment and vacancy. But here, we’re working to uproot that isolation. Every renovated home means one less empty house, one more family with a place to belong, and one more neighbor with someone to wave to across the street.

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