Keita Martin worries he’ll be homeless again before the end of the summer. The 32-year-old Marietta native is one of several tenants at Campus Edge Apartments, who say they’re being booted out of the complex near Kennesaw State University by its new owners. Campus Realty Advisors, an Atlanta-based real estate development company, confirmed it officially […]
Housing
Posted inHousing
What to Do If You’re Being Evicted in Metro Atlanta
Protests over controversial evictions have occurred across metro Atlanta recently, and local tenant attorneys say Black Georgians make up the majority of those involved in cases they encounter in court. Many renters who receive troubling calls or letters from their landlords move out prematurely when they should fight back, according to tenant attorney Michael Lucas, […]
Posted inCity Politics, Housing
If Atlanta Is a Black Mecca, Why Are 8 Out of 10 Homeless People Black?
Forty-seven percent of Atlanta residents are Black, but the city commonly referred to as the Black Mecca had a homeless population in January that was 80% Black, according to the latest Point-In-Time homelessness census count released on Monday. Of equal concern, on Jan. 27, the city logged 131 homeless families, an 18% rise from the […]
Posted inHousing
Revamped Motel Gives Atlanta’s Unhoused a Second Chance — But for How Long?
Malcolm Walker was grateful to have a roof over his head on Monday after spending the past six months living under a bridge. The 32-year-old Atlanta resident was one of up to 80 unhoused people living in tents at the Pryor Street homeless encampment — located downtown under Interstate 20 — before a crew of […]
Posted inGentrification, Housing
Atlanta’s Largest Homeless Encampment Is About to Be Cleared
Atlanta’s largest homeless encampment is scheduled to be “decommissioned” on Monday as city officials continue working to clear potentially hazardous tent cities in the wake of the January tragedy that resulted in Cornelius Taylor’s death. Up until recently, the encampment located downtown beneath Interstate 20 on Pryor Street was home to as many as 80 […]
Posted inHousing
Are Build-to-Rent Homes Exploiting Black Tenants?
The house that Tyreek Davis is renting in College Park is similar to the kind of home he’d like to buy and can afford. It has four-bedrooms, 2.5-bathrooms, a driveway, garage, washer and dryer — an upgrade from the Union City apartment where he previously lived. But it’s not for sale, and none of the […]
Posted inHousing, Politics & Policy
Warnock Wants to Help Young Atlantans Buy Homes, Pay Rent
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., introduced a set of new federal housing bills on Tuesday that may be a lifeline for Atlantans struggling to pay rent and purchase their first home. The policy proposals face steep challenges to becoming law in the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, but GOP leaders in other states […]
Posted inHousing, Local Politics, Politics & Policy, State Politics
Atlanta Residents’ Calls for Rent Control Ignored by Lawmakers
Atlanta Housing Justice League Executive Director Alison Johnson expressed anger and regret on Monday after bills backed by her organization failed to advance before the legislature’s Thursday Crossover Day deadline. Failure to pass related bills in the state House or the state Senate by the end of Crossover Day means it’s unlikely Georgia’s legislature will pass […]
Posted inHousing, Politics & Policy, State Politics
The Rent Is Too Damn High. Will Georgia Lawmakers Do Anything About It?
Black Atlantans and housing justice advocates have spent the past few years begging state lawmakers to do more to address housing-related issues like affordable housing shortages, rising rents, and low levels of homeownership among Black families. In response, Georgia Democrats — who had difficulty turning out Black voters in November — made addressing housing issues […]
Posted inHousing, Politics & Policy
Why Affordable Housing Advocates Worry Atlanta’s Unhoused Population Is Growing
It’s been about three years since Janice Ruff reported her former landlord to the Atlanta Police Department’s housing code enforcement division for refusing to make repairs to her old apartment. That landlord received an estimated $3,500 fine, according to Ruff, who said he evicted her a short time later for having a “smart mouth.” She’s […]
