ATLANTA — Mayor Andre Dickens announced Monday the last families at Forest Cove Apartments have moved into new residences. This completes the $9.1 million relocation plan Dickens started in the spring.
The complex posed a risk of serious health and safety issues causing its closure. It was condemned in December 2021 which impacted more than 200 families that needed to be relocated.
“This is a historic milestone for the families of Forest Cove who have been left behind for too many years,” said Dickens.
Dozens of organizations and nonprofits banded together to support and fund services for residents’ transition. Dickens also got additional private funding to help the families relocate into their new homes.
“After meeting with the families at Forest Cove in my first weeks in office, I knew that even though the City wasn’t responsible for the conditions there, we had a moral obligation to act," he said in a news release.
Residents had a selection of places to choose from for their new homes. The city also provided them with furniture and moving services, which residents are expected to pay back under Atlanta's plan.
Atlanta city leaders also plan to rehab the complex. Once this phase of the project is done, families can return.
“While our work is far from over, this is an important step for these residents who now have a chance to start fresh. We must now work with urgency to ensure these residents can return to a community that is safe, clean and thriving," Dickens said.