Georgia House candidate Mel Keyton, who has been battling squatters in his community for months, says the new law criminalizing squatting hasn't had a significant impact yet and believes stiffer penalties are needed.
Georgia House candidate Mel Keyton has been dealing with a persistent problem of squatters in his Atlanta-area neighborhood, who have brought drugs, prostitution, and even armed robbery to the community. Despite a new law criminalizing squatting, Keyton says the issue has yet to subside.
Under the Georgia Squatter Reform Act, signed into law last month, squatting is now a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Keyton believes that while the change is a step in the right direction, it doesn't go far enough.
"It's really just burglary, and these people, the squatters that we have had in our community, have had guns, sex trafficking, and one overdosed on fentanyl," Keyton told Fox News Digital. "They are comfortable with going into someone's house, not knowing if they are really there or if they want to come home or not."
Keyton recounted an incident where six squatters were arrested in a nearly half-million-dollar home in his neighborhood, only to return later and be arrested again.
"They came back later, and they got arrested twice. And then, after that, at 1:00 a.m., they came back again," Keyton said. "They don't really think the law is going to affect them until they see real repercussions."
Keyton believes that once squatters realize they can face criminal charges for their actions, they may begin to reconsider their behavior.
"They don't think it's serious right now because sometimes criminals get away with stuff so long, they just act like it's no big deal. It's just a civil matter, and they tell their friends that," he explained.
The new law gives homeowners more leverage in the removal process, allowing them to obtain a court order to evict squatters within three days. However, Keyton argues that the underlying issue of predatory lending by corporations who sell homes using lease purchase programs needs to be addressed.
"95% of our problems come from these corporations who do lease purchase programs, and they don't have a real underwriting process," Keyton said. "These people get into these houses, and it's really just predatory lending, and they know they have predatory lending practices."
Keyton is calling on corporations to improve their lending practices and take responsibility for the harm they have caused to communities like his.
"We have to get these corporations checked because they really don't want to be in the business of being landlords, and it caused more harm than help to communities like mine," he said.
The issue of squatting in Atlanta has become widespread, with 18 properties in Keyton's community being taken over by squatters at one point. Residents are demanding more action to protect their homes and neighborhoods.
In addition to stiffer penalties for squatting, Keyton suggests measures such as increased police patrols, community watch programs, and educational campaigns to prevent people from falling prey to predatory lending practices.
"We need to do more to help our communities and protect our residents from these criminals," Keyton said. "We need to send a strong message that squatting will not be tolerated in Georgia."
Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
