Atlanta City Council creates registry of vacant properties to crack down on blight

Atlanta's City Council passed an ordinance this week requiring owners of vacant properties to register them with the city's Office of Code Enforcement by April 1, 2012. The changes to Atlanta's housing code were spearheaded by Councilwoman Joyce M. Sheperd, who said vacant properties can be unsafe and cause neighborhoods to deteriorate and become unstable.

"This is a great step in the right direction for the City’s code enforcement process," Sheperd said. "We will be able to hold everyone more accountable."

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