“Dangerous Dwellings,” by Alan Judd, Willoughby Mariano, Johnny Edwards, Jennifer Peebles, Eric Fan and edited by Lois Norder won the 2022 IRE (Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc.) Division III Print/Online award.
This yearlong character-driven investigation examined five years of code-enforcement records from 19 jurisdictions, lawsuits, property records, corporate documents and files from local and state housing agencies. After interviewing dozens of residents, housing experts, government officials and more, we identified more than 250 persistently unsafe and unhealthy complexes, including one address in southwest Atlanta where, during a single week in the spring of 2020, police officers were dispatched 44 times – on average about six times a day.
IRE Judges said, “This searing exposé gave voice to thousands of residents - mostly people of color - stuck living in horrific conditions at hundreds of persistently dangerous apartment complexes in Atlanta. The scale and scope of this investigation were truly impressive, revealing how state law makes it almost impossible to hold predatory owners to account while they rake in massive federal subsidies. Reporters showed how private equity and other investors are drawn to a business model that has painfully real impacts on how people live.”
This year’s winners were selected from more than 400 entries. The awards, given since 1979, recognize the most outstanding watchdog journalism of the year. The contest covers 19 categories across media platforms and a range of market sizes.
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