Mableton renters decry apartment living conditions
By Hunter Riggall hriggall@mdjonline.com
MABLETON — This week, activists and residents protested the living conditions at apartment complexes in the Riverside area.
“We have to have stronger tenant protections. We have to force those landlords to come to the table and make good,” said Alison Johnson of the Atlanta-based Housing Justice League. “... It’s our money that feeds the landlords. So we deserve a safe, decent place to live, and so do our children.”
The Cobb Board of Commissioners last fall adopted a new program of regular inspections for apartment complexes. Under the ordinance, apartment owners and managers are required to hire an independent certified inspector to examine 25% of their units in a given year, with all units in a complex being inspected over the course of four years. Failure to comply could result in the loss of a property owner’s certification.
The Riverside area is included in the new city of Mableton, which recently held elections for its mayor and City Council after residents voter to incorporate last fall. Code enforcement is one of a limited number of services the city is envisioned to provide.
