ATLANTA — A national property management group is partnering with law enforcement to combat squatting in the metro Atlanta area.
For months now, 11Alive has shared stories of people who have been impacted by squatters and have had to sometimes wait weeks to get them out due to current Georgia law. Lawmakers are working to pass a bill that would make squatting illegal.
In the meantime, FirstKey Homes is taking action.
Alex Horowitz with FirstKey Homes, which is headquartered in Atlanta, said the company has been working with multiple law enforcement agencies in and around Atlanta for the last several months.
"Atlanta has been described as, honestly, it's been described as a hotbed for trespasser activity," said Horowitz.
Horowitz said they collaborate with local law enforcement and other community stakeholders to inspect vacant homes, install smart locks, remove home listings from unauthorized third-party websites, and educate prospective residents about rental scams and trespassing.
Though the partnership has only been ongoing for a couple of months, Horowitz said they have cut down on squatting by 50% in their homes located in and around Atlanta.
He added that the partnership goes both ways.
"Police are happy because they're finding oftentimes wanted criminals in their homes," he said.
As community and law enforcement leaders do their part to tackle the problem, state politicians said they're hopeful House Bill 1017 will be locked in as law soon.
State Rep. Devan Seabaugh said right now, they are waiting on the final senate vote.
"It really solves a big problem we have in Georgia," Seabaugh said.