Dozens of Griffin residents ordered out of their homes immediately by city officials

GRIFFIN, Ga. - A Griffin city inspector ordered more than three dozen families at the Ava Park Apartment Complex to leave their homes immediately.  

An inspection on Thursday revealed critical safety issues, including rat infestations, structural issues, mold, and other hazards, residents said. 

In a letter to the residents from the city obtained by FOX 5, the city said it was investigating complaints of unsafe living conditions.  

"The rats are like the size of small puppies," said Yoshunda Jones, a community activist assisting the residents. "They chew through the wall, chew through wiring, chewed up carpets."

Residents of the Ava Park Apartments in Griffin were forced to evacuate after the complex was condemned by the city on Aug. 23. 2024.  (FOX 5)

After that inspection, the city placed big red signs on the buildings, mandating the residents to vacate the premises.  

On Friday, moving trucks and trailers lined the last portion of the complex still occupied.

Helen Wimbush, an 81-year-old resident of Ava Park, said the notice that she was being put out overwhelmed her. "I just got so nervous, I couldn’t eat," she said. 

Wimbush, who has lived in the federally subsidized apartment for 13 years, said she thought she might have to move all of her belongings on her own. 

Thankfully, the community has stepped up and provided free labor, boxes, and food to the residents. 

But Wimbush said it wasn't fair they were being kicked out so suddenly.

Residents of the Ava Park Apartments in Griffin were forced to evacuate after the complex was condemned by the city on Aug. 23. 2024.  (FOX 5)

"I didn’t miss a month paying my light bill, or my rent, or keeping this apartment in order."

The Ava Park Apartments are owned by Millennia Housing Management, a company previously associated with the notorious Forest Cove Apartments in South Atlanta, which the city demolished in March.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has since banned Millennia from acquiring new Section 8 contracts.  

However, according to Jones, local officials in Griffin have ignored the issues at Ava Park for years.  

"This didn’t happen overnight. This was years and years and years of willful and gross negligence," Jones said. 

As of now, the city has given the residents until the middle of Monday to vacate the premises, but the water and lights would be turned off sooner, the residents said.

Millennia Housing has reportedly agreed to temporarily house the displaced residents at a local motel indefinitely, Jones said.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Multiple attempts to reach the city manager were not successful.

Zena Thorpe, another resident, shared her uncertainty about the future. "I don’t know where I’m going, but wherever God leads me, that’s where I’m going to be," she said.