Atlanta Micro-Home Community Faces Resident Complaints

One of the first micro-housing communities built by a black developer in Atlanta’s College Park neighborhood is under fire following complaints from residents saying the quality of the structures is not fit for purpose. habitation.

Booker T. Washington received national recognition for his work as developer of South Park Cottage Homes, the first micro-housing community built by a Black builder offering affordable housing for just over $200,000. The modern, high-ceilinged units on Godby Road measure approximately 670 square feet. They were created to meet his desire to “provide quality housing “in an urban environment, which had a poor reputation and a crime-ridden street,” according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Now the AJC reports that five South Park Cottage owners say their units “have poor insulation, inadequate heating in winter, insufficient air conditioning in summer,” among other problems like no hot water and unlabeled electrical circuit breakers. Some said there had been instances where they could not access their homes because they could not unlock the doors.

Among the residents are Tanya Wright and Etienne Brown, who have been outspoken about their ongoing problems, appearing before the College Park City Council and at community meetings to ask for help from city leaders.

In November 2021, Wright said she learned her home was built without waterproof protection after returning to a flooded home. At the time, she hadn’t fully moved into the house yet.

“Booker himself was raising the water,” she said. Wright also reported an incident in which she had an accident due to an unstable deck on the upper level of her home. She said the leg fell through part of the bridge, which is being rebuilt for the third time.

Wright purchased the South Park Cottage microcommunity home in May 2023 and moved in last November. She did not hire an inspector before occupying the house. A recent inspection performed by Dream Home Inspections six weeks ago, however, made several recommendations on what items needed to be updated.

Brown moved into her home in January 2024, but has since made the decision to sell the property after using her retirement savings to move to Atlanta from Los Angeles. He said that although Washington had fixed its plumbing and HVAC problems, the solutions weren’t to his liking.

After a frigid winter in January caused its tankless water heaters, located outside homes, to break, Washington took the initiative to have them replaced. He also recalled that the developer covered hotel stays for residents without water during this period.

The manufacturing company responsible for making the water heaters used for microcommunity homes has confirmed that they are intended to be installed indoors.

“These homes are built to the same quality as any other home you would see,” Washington told the outlet. “At every stage, these houses have been

inspected and stamped by engineer. (The inspectors) examined the interior of the walls… the structure of the building… and the integrity of the construction. And those homes received certification from the inspectors who looked at those homes and signed them off.

The South Park Cottage Home developer added: “Micro-living is not for everyone. »

When the tiny house community officially opened its doors to residents in 2023, College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom was among those in attendance. The residential development embodies her “vision for affordable, environmentally friendly housing and economic activity for College Park,” she told the AJC. Broom also confirmed that tiny houses are not a municipal operation or entity.

Despite the complaints, Washington is ten feet behind its development.

“I’m proud of South Park Cottages and what we’ve built,” Washington said. “I feel like the majority of residents…love their homes. »

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