Katie Kirkpatrick joined leaders at the U.S. Chamber Housing Summit to discuss housing's role in regional competitiveness.
Metro Atlanta is one of the nation’s leading markets for business investment, talent attraction, and innovation. Home to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and 14 Fortune 500 headquarters, the nation’s sixth-largest metro area has built its success on connectivity, a diverse economy, and a collaborative approach to growth.
Today, business leaders are increasingly focused on how the next chapter of that growth will take shape, with talent, infrastructure, mobility, and housing all part of the equation. Those topics were front and center during a recent discussion featuring Metro Atlanta Chamber president and CEO Katie Kirkpatrick; Neil Bradley, executive vice president, chief policy officer and head of strategic advocacy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and Karen Purcell, head of community development banking at J.P. Morgan, at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Housing Summit in Washington, D.C.
“Throughout the Chamber’s 167-year history, employers have asked questions about the cost of doing business, transportation infrastructure, and access to talent,” said Kirkpatrick. “Now, they’re also asking whether employees can afford to live near where they work.”
The shift reflects how conversations around growth and competitiveness have evolved in recent years. Housing is increasingly part of the conversation viewed alongside workforce development, infrastructure, and connectivity as businesses evaluate relocation and expansion opportunities. The issue is not simply where people live. It is whether employers can continue attracting and retaining the workforce needed to support future growth.
Housing challenges can look very different from one community to the next. A neighborhood in Midtown Atlanta may face different realities than a community just a few miles away in Sandy Springs. Yet regardless of geography, the conversation is increasingly centered on competitiveness. Employers are focused on affordability in more than one way. They are asking whether middle-income workers can find housing options near jobs, transportation networks, and community amenities.
Housing has become an increasingly important part of conversations about the country’s long-term competitiveness, informed by business leaders across industries, including 2025 MAC Board Chair Ryan Marshall, CEO of PulteGroup. As one of the nation’s leading homebuilders, Marshall has helped reinforce the connection between economic growth and housing opportunity. He often points to a simple relationship: for every two jobs created, a region should add one housing unit. The idea reflects a broader reality: growth works best when jobs, infrastructure, and housing evolve together.
Continued growth is reinforcing that connection across the region. Population gains and business expansion are driving demand for housing throughout the Atlanta Regional Commission’s 11-county area, where an estimated 37,000 housing units are needed annually. As communities plan for future growth, the opportunity is to ensure housing, infrastructure and economic development continue advancing together in ways that support long-term prosperity.
Atlanta’s competitive advantage has never come from a single asset. The combination of talent, connectivity, infrastructure, and economic opportunity continues to attract companies, investment, and people from around the world. Housing is increasingly part of that formula, helping ensure the region remains a place where businesses can grow, workers can thrive, and long-term economic momentum can continue.
