Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is cracking down on owners of blighted and dilapidated properties with the imposition of a new “blight tax” which would let courts increase the taxes of some blighted properties up to 25 times the going rate. It would only apply to occupied properties, ensuring that nobody is moved from their home involuntarily, according to Dickens. The legislation was introduced by the mayor and Councilmember Byron Amos in July of this year. The legislation would also include tax incentives to property owners who make property repairs and improvements to remediate conditions and bring the properties in line with city standards for “productive use.”  The ordinance would allow the City to utilize a program approved by Georgia voters in recent years to push property owners to remediate or redevelop blighted properties. If approved, the legislation would empower the municipal court to impose a “Blight Tax” on neglected properties, fundamentally changing the economics of neglectful land speculation. Occupied properties would be exempt from the program, ensuring no residents are involuntarily displaced. “Since taking office, our Administration has moved with urgency to address substandard housing and root out negligent property owners,” said Mayor Dickens. “This new policy will equip the City with a powerful tool for cracking down on corporate, absentee owners who treat property as a cheap investment vehicle rather than part of the fabric of our communities.” “This legislation addresses a key concern for District 3 residents, who have for too long been subjected to neglected, blighted properties whose owners are content to wait to cash in,” said District 3 Councilmember Byron Amos. “The Blight Tax will give us much greater leverage in persuading these owners to clean up their property or sell them to a better steward who will.” The new Blight Tax is the latest in a number of initiatives put in place by Mayor Dickens since taking office. Since January of 2022, the Administration launched the City’s first Housing Help Center, established funds to assist legacy residents remain in the communities they built and set up an eviction diversion program for low-income families who are at risk of displacement. Learn more about the Administration’s housing initiatives online here. The post Mayor Dickens to Push Owners of Blighted Properties to Make Repairs or Face Tax Increases appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.