Amber Paige, a Master of Public Policy student at Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, is set to graduate in 2025 after finding her calling in advancing housing equity. A native of the Atlanta metro area, Paige returned home after earning her undergraduate degree from Howard University. The challenges she faced graduating during the pandemic led her to explore new career directions beyond film industry administration.
Paige’s interest in community development and an internship with the City of Atlanta—where she worked alongside several alumni from the Andrew Young School—inspired her to pursue a graduate degree in public policy at Georgia State University.
Her academic journey took a significant turn on the first day of Clinical Assistant Professor Tammy Greer’s class when Greer asked, “What is your purpose in life?” According to Paige, this question encouraged deeper reflection about her motivations and values. “That moment set the tone for every discussion that followed and prompted her to reflect on her motivations, values and the role she hoped to play in her community. It helped reframe not just her academic path but also her understanding of what it means to pursue policy work with intention.”
A criminal justice policy course led by instructor Alex Camardalle exposed students to structural inequities through both classroom materials and peer discussions. Paige noted that hearing diverse perspectives changed how she viewed social issues: “I had previous experience in discussing social inequities in a more casual setting,” Paige said. “But I didn’t expect them to be highlighted in such a fundamental way across every class. It changed how I see the world and the work I want to do.”
With support from the school, Paige interned with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs’ Housing Finance and Development team. There, she reviewed tax credit applications from developers, evaluated revitalization plans, made funding recommendations, attended groundbreakings, and toured renovated facilities—gaining insight into how policy decisions impact communities directly.
Paige further explored affordable housing solutions through capstone research on low-income housing tax credits and community land trusts aimed at keeping homes permanently affordable by placing land ownership under community control.
As graduation approaches, Paige intends to remain in Atlanta working within affordable housing initiatives: “It’s bittersweet to leave the Andrew Young School,” she said. “But I’m excited to stay in Atlanta and be part of shaping where the city goes next.”
