The remaining residents of Atlanta's Peoplestown community have been waging a 9-year fight to stay in their homes. The city used eminent domain in an effort to grab the homes saying it was necessary to alleviate a flooding problem.
The residents latest court battle this week has left them optimistic. Homeowner Tanya Washington-Hicks tells Audacy Atlanta's Maria Boynton that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Charles Eaton has ordered the city to produce the modeling data that justified the initial taking of the homes.
The city had been trying to evict the residents before the winter holidays. The homeowners and their supporters have held rallies calling on Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms not to follow through with the eviction order.
Washington-Hicks also expresses optimism after a conversation she says she had with Atlanta Mayor-elect Andre Dickens. "He said that he would be reaching out to us to see how we should address this pressing issue." During the campaign Dickens said he would be pursuing a plan addressing the problem while also allowing the families to stay in their homes.
Court is expected to recovene in January once the city complies with the judge's order.
Click below to listen to the full interview with Peoplestown resident Tanya Washington-Hicks.