Although the common thread that runs between all such complexes is the low level of income their residents receive, as we have learned with public school performance an undesirable location and inadequate resources do not automatically add up to failure. Keystone Apartments in Clayton County breaks nearly all the stereotypes normally associated with assisted housing. Greg Tarbutton, a Foundation member, has owned and managed the complex since 1989. His mother bought the property in foreclosure in 1981 and ran it herself for a number of years. Tarbutton takes great pride in the fact that his community is different than most of its kind.
Crime is low.
There is no litter strewn about. The grass is green and it is evident that the residents of Keystone share a respect for each other and their surroundings. While many have tried to analyze what is wrong with government-owned housing programs, it is much easier and more logical to look at what is right with Keystone. To start with, each prospective resident must undergo an extensive background check, as do applicants at most privately owned apartment complexes. Those who are accepted are read a laundry list of rules and regulations by which they are expected to abide.