ATLANTA — People who once lived at a now-condemned apartment complex in southwest Atlanta say they’ve been left with no place to call home.
Residents of Bolden Townhomes on Oakland Drive told Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers they thought they’d eventually be able to move back in after repairs were made to their units. But months later, the property is still boarded up and fenced off, with security watching over the site.
Montavious Vaughn said his family has struggled since they were forced to leave.
“We’re doing our best to try and flip our life around,” Vaughn said.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
His mother, Angela Vaughn, said the conditions they endured before the complex was condemned were unbearable.
“It was hot, mold, ceiling fell in, and that’s not fair at all,” she said.
Channel 2 Action News first reported on problems at the apartments in June when the city cited the former owner — Bolden Capital Group — for several code enforcement violations. After the report aired, the city and nonprofit groups stepped in to help leaseholders with temporary housing.
“They transferred us to a hotel. We were in the hotel for about a month or two,” Vaughn said.
Residents said they were told repairs would be made and they could move back in. But the property went into foreclosure, and the work was never completed.
“It’s stressful, and it’s not right. We don’t even have no clothes, no shoes. Everything got boarded up, and they threw all our stuff out,” Angela Vaughn said.
TRENDING STORIES
- 16-year-old shot in drive-by while walking with friends in Atlanta
- DeKalb County man says his neighbor’s dog keeps attacking his pets
- Family identifies 6-year-old Paulding Co. student who died on field trip to farm
Some former tenants said they were offered relocation assistance.
“Relocation assistance that if we agree to leave the property, they’d give us $3000,” said former resident Renfroe Tyson. “It put me back at 50% of what I had, and I didn’t have a lot, but what I had was a lot to me.”
But not everyone received the money. The Vaughns said when they arrived to collect the payment, they were told there was none left.
“We could’ve gotten somewhere to stay. We could have paid our rent up a couple months to give us time to get on our feet,” Angela Vaughn said.
A security guard told Rogers that some people reportedly showed fake leases to claim the assistance, and the funds eventually ran out.
“Me and my son, we didn’t get anything,” she said.
The Vaughns are now staying with family as they try to rebuild.
State Rep. Omari Crawford, who sponsored a bill to strengthen tenants’ rights, said former residents may have legal options.
“Their options would be to go to the magistrate court, especially showing the code enforcement violations for some type of resolution to their issue,” Crawford said.
Bolden Capital Group also owned a property in DeKalb County that went into foreclosure. The company pleaded guilty to code enforcement violations there and was fined just under $3,000.
Former residents have started an online fundraiser to help them recover from losing their homes. You can donate at this GoFundMe link.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
