How many evictions happen in Athens and in what neighborhoods? What populations are affected? Do some landlords evict at a higher rate than others?
Students from the UGA Department of Geography’s Community Mapping Lab set out to answer these questions under the direction of Dr. Jerry Shannon. They worked from a dataset collected from ACC Magistrate Court records by the Athens Housing Advocacy Team, a housing justice group. Together, they presented their findings at the ACC Library on Friday.
They found that Athens families experience between 100 and 300 evictions each month on average, although the number can vary widely from month to month. Evictions cluster in three major hotspots: one area centered around Atlanta Highway, one on the eastside by The Oaks and Legacy of Athens and one in the north by Hidden Pines.
Strangely, evictions didn’t seem to target areas where people with low incomes, high unemployment rates, higher housing stress or lower education levels live. On the other hand, census tracts with higher Black populations were more likely to have higher eviction rates over the period of data collection (which stretched from September 2021 through January 2023).
Researchers found that landlords make eviction filings when tenants owe $3,293 on average in late rent, and tenants generally have about two weeks to come up with the money.
Community Mapping Lab students also took a look at landlords, and found people all over the country who own properties in Athens. While Athens landlords are generally headquartered in Athens, or elsewhere in Georgia, some of the biggest landlords here actually live out of state.
For example, Prosperity Capital Partners, a Florida-based investment company, started buying up duplexes in Athens last year and quickly became Athens’ biggest landlord. They currently own 210 properties with 600 to 800 units between them, according to Community Mapping Lab researchers. They’re also Athens’ biggest evictor, having made 346 eviction attempts from August 2021 to November 2022 alone.
Other big evictors in Athens are Arbor Ridge Apartments (with 135 eviction attempts in one 221-unit apartment complex) and Power Properties (with 111 eviction attempts spread out among 135 properties).
ACC Board of Education member Tim Denson was present at the meeting to give information about the ACC eviction prevention program, which the commission recently voted to re-start. Local tenants’ rights attorney Sarah Gehring also held a ‘know-your-rights’ workshop after the mapping presentations.
The ACC Geospatial Information Office provided support for the eviction mapping project and currently houses the maps (many more than presented here!) on an ArcGIS dashboard.
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