June 8th 2024.
The South Park Cottage Homes, located in Atlanta's College Park neighborhood, have been making headlines recently due to complaints from residents about the quality of the structures. These micro-homes were the first of their kind in the area, built by Black developer Booker T. Washington, and received national recognition for their affordable price of just over $200,000. With their modern design and high ceilings, they were meant to provide quality housing in an urban environment that had a reputation for crime.
However, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, five homeowners have come forward with concerns about their units, including poor insulation, inadequate heating and air conditioning, and other issues such as no hot water and unlabeled electrical breakers. Some residents even reported being unable to access their homes due to problems with the locks. Tanya Wright and Etienne Brown are among the homeowners who have been vocal about these issues, seeking help from city leaders and appearing before the College Park City Council and community meetings.
In November 2021, Wright discovered that her home had been built without waterproof protection when she returned to a flooded house. She had not even fully moved in at the time. "Booker himself was getting water up," she shared. Wright also had a frightening incident where her leg fell through an unstable deck on the upper level of her home, which is now being rebuilt for the third time. Brown, who used his retirement savings to relocate from Los Angeles to Atlanta and purchased his South Park Cottage home in January 2024, has also faced issues with plumbing and HVAC. Despite Washington's attempts to address these problems, Brown has decided to sell the property.
Washington, however, stands by his development and the quality of the homes. He took the initiative to replace the tankless water heaters, which were meant to be installed indoors but were placed outside the homes, after they broke during a winter freeze in January. He even covered hotel stays for residents who were without water during that time. "Those homes are built with the same quality as any other home you would see," Washington told the outlet. "Every step of the way, those homes have been inspected and engineer-stamped. We looked at the interior of the walls, the structure of the building, and the integrity of the build. And those homes received certification from the inspectors who reviewed them and signed off on them."
Despite the complaints, Washington stands firm in his belief that micro-living is not for everyone. The South Park Cottage Homes were officially opened for residents in 2023, with College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom in attendance. Broom shared her vision of eco-friendly housing accessibility and economic activity for the city with the AJC, stating that the micro-homes are not a city operation or entity.
Washington remains proud of his development, stating, "I feel the majority of the residents love their homes." However, it is important to note that homeownership comes with additional costs, as the average owner spends nearly $18,000 per year on expenses such as maintenance and repairs. As for the residents of South Park Cottage Homes, they continue to navigate the challenges they face while living in these micro-homes, hoping for solutions and improvements from the developer and city leaders.
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