Decrease in Crime and Increase in Programs
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens sat down with Carvd N Stone to chat about the state of Atlanta and its youth. In 2022, Mayor Dickens announced the City of Atlanta’s Year of the Youth citywide campaign, an initiative to ensure that local youth, from birth to 24 years of age, have all the tools and resources they need to thrive.
As the 61st mayor of Atlanta, Dickens has made it clear that the city’s youth matter and that the city must come together to support future generations. According to the Mayor’s Office, crimes committed by Atlanta youth have decreased in all categories in the first half of 2025, including stealing bikes and breaking into cars.
Mayor Dickens says the drop in crimes committed by youth is a direct result of the entire community stepping up. He made it clear not to call his office unless you’re ready to hire youth or be part of the solution.
“A real ultimatum was placed on the city,” said Mayor Dickens. “We said it’s a group project. Everyone has to put in on this.”
The City of Atlanta’s Summer Youth Employment Program is a big initiative that Mayor Dickens also credits to the decrease in youth crime. The program’s goal is to empower Atlanta’s young residents by providing them with hands-on experience through paid jobs.
“The youth of Atlanta are ambitious. They really want to do amazing things,” said Mayor Dickens. “They want a big life. They also want to be taken seriously too, for their ideas.”
According to the Atlanta Summer Youth Employment Program 2024 Report, 5,700 Atlanta youth were hired and placed at 143 employer sites, including different City departments, the airport, communications, and more. Participants earned an average hourly wage of $17.70. The program pays for up to 20 hours per week for the youth. If more hours are needed, then the employer provides the additional wages.
He said the city helps employers create systems so they can onboard the youth. The city also provides Marta cards for youth who lack reliable transportation.
“I’m trying to do all that I can,” said Mayor Dickens.
Affordable Housing
In many of the mayor’s interviews, he talks about his effort to bring more affordable housing to the City of Atlanta. Mayor Dickens has set a goal to build or preserve 20,000 affordable housing units by 2030, with a focus on serving legacy residents, low-income households, and the unhoused population.
He said unstable housing is the biggest threat to our youth’s well-being.
One of the most recent completed affordable housing projects is Cypress 595, a 77-unit affordable housing community developed to provide energy-efficient, family-centered homes for Atlanta residents earning up to 60% of the area’s median income.
“I care deeply. I really do as a person that grew up in Atlanta,” said Mayor Dickens. “I want this place to have the most opportunities for younger people.”
The 2025 Atlanta mayoral election will be held on November 4, 2025, and Mayor Andre Dickens is running for a second term.
