Residents at Forest Cove Apartments received a small victory Tuesday when the owner of the decrepit complex announced plans to temporarily freeze rent during their court-ordered relocation process.
Forest Cove Apartments have been the subject of numerous articles in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, including a 2018 investigation which revealed state and local governments lacked authority to address mold issues in rental units. The residents of Forest Cove, where rent is anchored at 30% of the head of household’s income through the federal Section 8 program, say the owners are not maintaining the property.
Millennia Companies acquired the 396-unit complex last April but has managed it since 2017. The property managers say they want to relocate the 212 residents for housing repairs, but a Municipal Court judge at the end of December ordered a demolition for the complex.
Millennia’s plans are also in jeopardy because the Georgia Department of Community Affairs terminated its application for a subsidy to fund Forest Cove’s $59.4 million rehabilitation fees. Judge Christopher Portis called the rehabilitation cost unreasonable because Millennia testified the property’s current value is $40 million.
Millennia told the AJC that they sent letters to Forest Cove residents Tuesday to advise tenants that they won’t have to pay monthly rent until the residents are relocated from the property. Millennia’s decision, however, came in response to demands from residents a month ago.
“I hate that it took so much work, but I feel good that they’re not making us pay rent,” said Lolita Evans, who has endured mold and sewage leaks at her apartment for the last seven years.
Credit: Daniel Varnado
Credit: Daniel Varnado
Several residents on Tuesday morning held a rent strike in front of the complex before Millennia’s response. Housing League Executive Director Alison Johnson, whose group protested with the tenants, said she’s worried that dispersing Forest Cove children citywide will harm their education.
“The city should help the residents,” said Johnson, who vowed to keep fighting for renters protections in Georgia. “This is a piece of the last affordable housing stock that the city actually has.”
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said Wednesday that the city has identified 170 units for some of the Forest Cove residents to relocate to, with more to come. He said the federal Housing and Urban Development secretary plans to give temporary vouchers to all the Forest Cove residents that need to be relocated.
Dickens said the city will work with each family at Forest Cove to assess their situation, which includes each child’s education. He also said the city is putting together a redevelopment plan for the complex.
“My heart goes out to them. I know if I was in this emergency situation, I’d want the mayor to snap his or her fingers,” Dickens said. “This is a good amount of snapping I’m doing right now, and it’s gonna happen.”
A spokesman for Dickens said the mayor is also reallocating funds to support the relocation of families. It was not immediately known where the funds are coming from, or how much is being reallocated.
Dickens also directed Atlanta Housing, Invest Atlanta and the City’s Department of Planning to make immediate plans to develop the Thomasville Heights Community housing site adjacent to Forest Cove, the spokesman said. Once developed, Forest Cove residents will have first right of refusal if they wish to return to the neighborhood.
“Developing this project will be of the highest priority for all members of city government to ensure that residents can return to their neighborhood and community,” a spokesman for Dickens said.
The city, in its lawsuit against Millennia, alleged the complex has piled up at least 231 code violations for fire damage, rodent infestations, and building damage, among other issues, since 2017.
Credit: Daniel Varnado
Credit: Daniel Varnado
The lawsuit also says the property has received more than 650 police calls for domestic violence, burglary, robbery, and homicide since 2020.
Jason Winston, the new city councilmember representing the area, said the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development visited the complex last week and is now collaborating with the city for solutions.
“We feel really good about coming up with a comprehensive relocation plan for the residents and we’ll be announcing details very soon,” Winston said by phone.
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