Across five counties, Atlanta residents have been faced with evictions for late and unpaid rent amounts accounting for over 140,000 cases across the city making them the city with the largest eviction rate in the country. Counties include Clayton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Fulton, and Cobb.
According to research conducted by the Princeton University Eviction Lab, the city of Atlanta has three times the rate as the national average of evictions with approximately 1 in 4 renters being impacted. The research gathered also noted that there have been 10,218 filings within the last month and 55,168 filings year to date. While the amount of eviction cases were already high in the area prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it still doesn’t discount its impact which is disproportionately impacting Black Americans.
In the research conducted, it was also found that the amount of evictions can be attributed to a group of property owners who have filed hundreds of cases. While a filing does not mean that the eviction process was fully successful, the amount of cases is where many people are calling concerns. According to FOX5 Atlanta, city officials have not confirmed for the aforementioned amount of cases filed how many tenants were fully evicted.
Many believe that the shifts in the economy as it pertains to Black Americans, more specifically Black women, are part of the casualties in mass layoffs as a factor in the issue while others believe that the cost of living does not match the minimum wage of the area. Currently, minimum wage in the state of Georgia is $7.25 under federal law with variation by county ranging between $17 to $19 per hour, as noted by the U.S. Department of Labor. Meanwhile the rate of apartments that people have been getting evicted of such as River Valley Communities and East Perimeter Pointe range between $780 to $1200 with additional fees for late payments and online portal usage ranging between $200 to $400 per month, as reported by Capital B News. Funding cuts under the Trump administration for those who are considered lower income have also played a role in how people are paying their rent.
The turnaround time between when the eviction notice is provided to when a tenant has to vacate the premises is also quicker in comparison to other cities with Atlanta having laws that are more friendly towards landlords in the event a tenant is late on rent or having issues with their unit. In response to the issue, mayor Andre Dickens introduced a microloan program of $500 for those facing financial hardship that has cost them their rent payments
As tenants fight to pay for the roof over their heads, they’re also combatting subpar rental conditions with 15% of rental units across the state of Georgia having bad conditions such as broken appliances and plumbing concerns according to research published by the United Health Foundation. The rise in the cost of living paired with other economic stressors has left many with feelings of hopelessness in seeing where they believe society is going for those in low to middle class households.
To support those who are impacted by the eviction cases in Atlanta, research and financially support local nonprofits such as Safehouse Outreach who are actively working to support those in the area.