Atlanta City Council passes legislation targeting negligent landlords

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) - On Tuesday, the Atlanta City Council passed legislation that targets negligent landlords.

“Hundreds of people in our community are living like animals. Mold, mildew, our grandmothers, our children,” said Councilmember Andrea Boone, sponsor of 22-R-3855.

The resolution requests the Fulton County District Attorney investigate and criminally charge landlords and property owners who do not keep their complexes up to Atlanta city code and provide the minimum standard of maintenance and security.

“We are asking that all law enforcement get involved in this issue,” said Councilmember Boone.

This comes after the City of Atlanta allocated $9 million to help relocate the residents of the Forest Cove Apartments, a dilapidated complex in southeast Atlanta.

“We can’t afford to do that for all of them, so it is time for this type of legislation,” said Councilmember Marci Collier Overstreet.

The Forest Cove Apartments is federally subsidized housing, owned by Millenia Housing Management, a company based in Ohio.

RELATED: City approves funding to relocate residents out of Forest Cove Apartments

Forest Cove isn’t the only complex whose conditions sparked this resolution. During a recent council briefing where this legislation was introduced, councilmembers said this move could help improve conditions at the Fairburn Gordon Apartments as well as the Martin Manor Apartments.

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