Tenants gather in protest outside of Atlanta HUD office, ‘demand intervention’ on housing issues

ATLANTA — A group of Georgia tenants receiving housing assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are planning to protest poor conditions outside of the regional HUD office in Atlanta.

According to a release by the tenants, who come from all across Georgia, they’ll be demanding “urgent intervention and accountability” to what they call “ongoing civil rights and fair housing violations” that residents are facing across the region.

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The tenants gathering at the federal office in Atlanta include former residents of the long-troubled property Forest Cove Apartments as well as residents of the GE Tower in Southwest Atlant and residents of Hudson Malone Towers, a senior living facility in Albany.

“The common thread among these issues is the dysfunction at HUD, which has failed to provide the necessary oversight and support. The upcoming mobilization aims to highlight these deficiencies and demand federal intervention to secure the justice that residents deserve,” the tenants said in a statement ahead of the protest.

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Describing what they’re facing where they live now, tenants of GE Tower in Atlanta said they are “enduring a problematic renovation process funded by city elites, facing unmanageable junk fees, harassment, and the absence of official lease agreements.”

For those living at Hudson Malone Towers, “residents are grappling with serious civil rights violations, including non-compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Health issues exacerbated by pervasive mold further compound their suffering.”

Finally, former Forest Cove residents say they are “struggling under the mismanagement of Leumas Group, a contracted service group that has shown incompetence and a lack of urgency in addressing their housing needs. Many of these former residents are at risk of homelessness due to inadequate support.”

As a result of these claims of violations, tenants, advocates and their allies plan to gather outside of the HUD Southeast regional office Wednesday morning to demand action by the federal agency.

In response to questions from Channel 2 Action News, a HUD spokesperson said “HUD prioritizes the safety and security of the residents we serve, ensuring that they have the safe, affordable, and quality housing they deserve. Our leadership is aware of the concerns raised today by the Housing Justice League, and its members, and has met with organizers. Further, we are in close contact with the local housing authority and owners of the impacted properties to ensure their residents’ concerns are being addressed. HUD will continue monitoring the conditions at each of the impacted properties to ensure that all issues are quickly and effectively addressed.”

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