The city of Atlanta says government agencies reached an agreement with the owner of Forest Cove to move tenants out of the subsidized-housing complex’s deteriorating conditions.
According to the city, Atlanta is expected to pay to relocate residents now. But later on, the apartment owner, Millennia, would reimburse those costs. During relocation, tenants would be able to keep their federal rental assistance.
The deal came after a March 8 meeting between the company and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Regional Administrator José Alvarez and state Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Christopher Nunn.
While there’s still no date for when residents will move, a meeting among government leaders is significant. A year-long investigation by WABE showed how tenants dealt with rats, fires and shootings for years, often as public officials stood by.
Since late 2016, Millennia promised to buy Forest Cove and begin an extensive renovation. But the company didn’t complete the sale until April of last year. After Millennia then delayed the relocation for several more months, a city judge ruled to condemn the property.
That ruling put the property’s future in limbo early this year. Millennia could no longer obtain the financing it needed from the Department of Community Affairs to complete the more than $50 million renovation. In that uncertainty, the city began a plan to relocate residents itself.
Residents have been anxious for a date for when they can leave the property. Already, the 400-unit complex is half empty with roughly 200 families. The city says it has secured about 170 units in properties tied to the Atlanta Housing Authority, the local low-income housing agency.
In a statement HUD acknowledged the meeting with local and state officials, saying it is “focused on the protection of the tenants and preserving affordable housing.” HUD only added that it remains committed to these goals.
Millennia echoed the federal government saying in a statement that it is “committed to working with all partners — city, state, HUD — to identify a path forward that allows for the relocation of residents and the preservation of this affordable housing community.”
The company is appealing the local condemnation order in superior court. In the meantime, the city is now prioritizing the redevelopment of the vacant site of the former Thomasville Heights public housing project, allowing Forest Cove residents the option to return to the new units.
