About Us
The Dirty Truth Campaign represents a group of residents of Neighborhood Planning Unit-V (neighborhoods in Atlanta near Turner Field) and partner organizations who want an end to the trash, construction debris and vacant properties that are plaguing the community.
In 2006, approximately 20 residents of NPU-V used a process called Photovoice (see www.photovoice.com) to take pictures, tell stories, and reach policymakers about the issues that concern them the most. The theme that kept resurfacing was the impact of the built environment on residents' quality of life. Our technical assistance request to The Neighborhood Data Advisory Group revealed that there are 1296 vacant or unoccupied properties in NPU-V, representing 42% of all properties.
Vacant properties are not simply eyesores -
- Vacant properties are harmful to residents’ mental health
- Vacant properties increase crime and the fear of crime
- Vacant properties are often artificially appreciated in value while depreciating neighboring property values
- Vacant properties reduce property tax revenue
- Vacant properties strain police, fire, building, and health departments
We are committed to getting the Dirty Truth out about the impact of the built environment and the steps that we can take to transform NPU-V into a livable, affordable, and healthy community.
"Individuals who live in communities with an increasing number of vacant buildings begin to feel isolated, weakening the community as a whole. A large number of vacant buildings in a neighborhood symbolizes that no one cares, increasing the likelihood that property values will continue to decline and that further abandonment will set in."
-- National Vacant Properties Campaign
Our Mission
The Mission of the Dirty Truth Campaign is to bridge residents and policymakers to improve the health and quality of life of residents of NPU-V. We are committed to eradicating (getting rid of) trash, construction debris, and vacant properties in our neighborhood that contribute to poor health, crime, and unaffordable housing.
Our policy recommendations are:
- The activation of the power of the mayor and municipal court judges to authorize the abatement of nuisance properties without a hearing as stated in Chapter 75, Article V of the Code of Ordinances.
- The demolition, rehabilitation, and abatement of the 100 most blighted vacant properties identified by residents and the Dirty Truth Campaign within 90 days of Earth Day (April 21, 2007) by the City of Atlanta. Continued abatement of up to 100 properties every 90 days thereafter until the existing 804 blighted properties and any future properties that are substantially and chronically (for more than 4 consecutive months) in violation of appropriate codes are brought up to code.
- Weekly street cleaning by the City of Atlanta in all areas deemed to be possibly blighted or redeveloping, implemented on a schedule such that all streets within empowerment zones, renewal communities, redevelopment zones, tax allocation districts or similarly situated properties be cleaned at least twice per month.
- The development of a Citizen's Commission to investigate code enforcement coordination, staff turnover, record keeping, and electronic data storage and tracking.
- Active and assertive enforcement of code violations resulting in seizure of crime ridden and/or environmental nuisance properties to be donated to community development corporations and neighborhood-based affordable housing developers for redevelopment.