A Replicable Blueprint
A national model for community redevelopment, East Lake is a thriving neighborhood that represents the untapped potential inherent in urban areas across the country. Each year, hundreds of visitors come to East Lake to learn how this model might bring about similar changes in their own communities.
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99% Violent crime down
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100% Drew Charter School seniors expected to graduate
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100% Eligible adults in The Villages of East Lake working
Then (1995)
- 650 dilapidated, dangerous public housing apartment units
- Crime rates were 18 times higher than the national average
- Employment rate of only 13.5%
- Only 5% of the fifth graders at the local elementary school were able to meet or exceed state standards for math
- High School graduation rate was less than 30%
Now (2022)
- The Villages of East Lake is a beautiful and thriving, mixed-income community with 650 apartments, townhouses and duplexes.
- Violent crime has been reduced by 99%
- 100% of adults receiving government housing assistance in The Villages of East Lake are working or in job training
- Drew Charter School is a top ranked Elementary, Middle and High School in Atlanta Public Schools
- Drew Charter School graduated 99% of its Class of 2021