Blighted: A Story of People, Politics, and an American Housing Miracle

Stagmeier (Real Estate Asset Management), a real estate investor and affordable housing activist, documents in this dense if uplifting account her efforts to restore a rundown apartment complex in a crime-ridden neighborhood in southeast Atlanta. Drawing on law enforcement data, socioeconomic statistics, and interviews with residents, building managers, and police officers, Stagmeier details how the Summerdale Apartment Community deteriorated over the past few decades, as the surrounding neighborhood was plagued by criminal activities, and the apartments were overrun by mold, bedbugs, rodents, and squatters. When her company bought the property in 2017, Stagmeier’s goals included offering affordable rents for families living near the poverty line; sustaining high tenant retention rates; helping to improve the local elementary school; and establishing partnerships with community healthcare, after-school programs, and other social services. She documents the hard work and coordination among nonprofit agencies and local officials that led to these and other improvements, including more reliable internet access and a new playground. Stagmeier’s forthright descriptions of ousting problem tenants, financing renovations, and untangling bureaucratic knots make this a valuable how-to for community organizers and real estate developers looking to improve poverty-stricken neighborhoods. This is an inspiring portrait of progress in action. (July)