A June 22, 2008, article highlighted English Avenue as a prime example of the increased crime in Atlanta due to vacant housing ("Side Effect of Foreclosures," Metro).

Referring to the neighborhood as "The Bluff," the article claimed the area has a "hard-earned reputation as a place where drugs and crime are plentiful. Now it has rows and rows of deserted homes." The article explains that although the mortgage crisis and absentee property owners are the largest catalysts for crimes in vacant housing, the problem is exaggerated by cuts in the city of Atlanta Bureau of Code Compliance. With the recent loss of nearly one-third of its officers, the bureau lacks sufficient manpower to track down absentee owners and issue citations for placarded homes.

Elissa Eubanks/Staff (ENLARGE)

Tracy Bates is president of the English Avenue Neighborhood Association.

English Avenue has made tremendous progress in developing and improving the neighborhood. The English Avenue Neighborhood Association, in particular, has strengthened community development and focused on public safety, land use and development. The community has been working closely with the Atlanta Police Department, the mayor's office and the Bureau of Code Compliance. We are forming a stakeholders group that will include the 22 faith-based organizations in the neighborhood and nonprofit service providers as well as many other institutions and businesses within the neighborhood.

These connections and partnerships are strengthening our efforts toward redevelopment, and we hope to see even more improvements in our neighborhood in the coming years.

English Avenue is taking the renewal and revitalization of the community very seriously. We have held at least two community clean-ups every year for the past five years, as well as food and clothing drives.

English Avenue has made great strides in improving the neighborhood, but we still need help to continue our climb. Our community deleted the term "The Bluff" many years ago in order to regain the positive elements of our rich history as "English Avenue." We would appreciate being referred to as only "English Avenue" in future articles. We call upon the AJC to help us change the public's view of our neighborhood from "the blight of Atlanta" to one of revitalization, improvement and hope.