Urban Blight: Bolden Townhomes is “unlivable,” say residents 

The broken windows and burned-down apartment homes are the first indication that Bolden Townhomes, which are located in the shadow of the Oakland City MARTA station at the intersection of Island Terrace and Oakland Drive in Southwest Atlanta, is yet another example of urban blight in the city.

On Friday morning, Bolden Townhomes residents and representatives from the Housing Justice League gathered near the entrance of the complex for a rally. The apartments have been described by many as “unlivable” and “illegal.” 

“There’s a lot going on here,” Torrieanna Good said.

“My neighbor’s whole kitchen ceiling caved in on her. We can’t get management to listen to us.” 

Good has lived at the Bolden Townhomes apartment complex for three months, and she’s already over the experience. 

“We were paying our rent until the manager took off on us,” Good said.

According to Zumper.com, the rent at Bolden Townhomes ranges from $1,095 to $1,295. The interior and exterior photos of the apartments on the website are a world away from what can be seen today. Those prices are well below the average rent in Metro Atlanta. For example, the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Atlanta is now $1,758, according to data provided by RentCafe.com. 

There are only two dumpsters at the apartments, and as of earlier this week, they were overflowing before management finally had them emptied. That does little to change the fact that many of the two-story townhome units have been without electricity and/or running water for weeks. 

In 2025, there are apartments in Atlanta without running water. Residents like Michael Stinchcomb can’t understand how this is happening. 

“I think it’s ugly and I think it’s illegal,” he said. “If you’re going to put somebody out, you should go through the proper system.”

Stinchcomb, who has lived at Bolden Townhomes with his girlfriend for the past 5 months, said he had to get the stove for their unit from a unit that was no longer in use after a fire. He told The Atlanta Voice that a maintenance man told him to do it.

 “It’s the saddest thing I have ever seen,” said Stinchcomb. “I’ve never seen anything like this.” 

Amber Williams, holding a puppy in a blanket, told the assembled media that the apartment she shares with her mother has mold and a leaking roof. 

“We need somebody to do something and to take action,” Williams said. 

Lamar Strong, who moved to Bolden Townhomes from South Georgia, has only been there for three months. Ge calls what he is seeing at the complex “crazy.”

“When I moved here, everything was OK, and all of a sudden things started messing up,” Strong said. 

Many residents like Good, Williams, Stinchcomb, and Billy Dodd said they are paying their rent, which is as much as $1,200 per month.

A notice on the door of the management office from the City of Atlanta’s Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Services, acknowledges a violation of services. Attempts to get someone in management to answer the door on Friday were for naught. There wasn’t anyone there.

Residents say they haven’t been able to reach management with complaints or pay their rent. The online portal isn’t working either, Williams said. The situation has been this way for several weeks, according to Montavious Vaughn, who held a sign that said, “Housing is a human right.”

“The kids and the older folks are the ones who are suffering the most,” Stinchcomb said.

A few feet away from him stood a little girl in a white t-shirt, grey shorts, and pink sandals. On Friday morning, she held a colorful sign that read, “Homes for All.”

Editor’s Note: Tara Woods is located in unincorporated Jonesboro and thus falls under the jurisdiction of the city’s Board of Commissioners.