Atlanta plans to clear homeless camp where man was killed in earlier sweep

In a virtual news conference on Monday, officials said the city of Atlanta and other agencies have secured housing options for 14 people living in the encampment.

Cathryn Vassell, chief executive for Partners for HOME, the agency that coordinates the city’s homeless strategy, did not immediately answer how many of the 14 people have accepted the housing offers. Some of the offers were still being made, a spokesperson said.

Most of the 14 people were offered units at Welcome House, a permanent supportive housing program in downtown Atlanta, Vassell said.

Vassell added: “If individuals do not accept the housing offer, we can also offer short-term shelter while they work on other housing solutions, and then we can make another offer down the road as other housing solutions come up.”

She said the Welcome House is offering flexible lease terms, and the apartments will “operate like a permanent supportive housing unit.”

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Also on Monday, the Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition held a separate news conference, alongside residents of Old Wheat Street, outside Atlanta City Hall to voice their frustration.

“What we have is this Whac-A-Mole approach of destroying an encampment, putting people into temporary housing,” organizer Tim Franzen said, “only to see them back in the street days or weeks later, with less property and more desperate.”

Franzen pointed to a growing homeless population and said that current housing strategies are insufficient.

“Cornelius was not just crushed by a bulldozer,” Franzen said. “He was crushed by failed city policy. Decades of failed city policy.”

Lolita Griffeth, who was Taylor’s fiancée and partner for eight years, said she had hoped Atlanta’s housing strategy would change after Taylor’s death.

Advocate Nolan English blamed the upcoming FIFA World Cup for the city’s homeless sweeps.

“We know what the hurry up and cleanup is about,” English said.

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Chatiqua Ellison, interim senior adviser to Mayor Andre Dickens on housing issues, and Atlanta Police Maj. Jeff Cantin both said the planned closure on Old Wheat Street is unrelated to the FIFA World Cup matches coming to Atlanta next summer.

“We have been doing this actually for a couple years ahead of the announcement of the big soccer tournament,” Cantin said.

Partners for HOME is leading a separate strategy called “Downtown Rising” that aims to “eliminate” homelessness in the downtown area before the World Cup.

On Monday, Ellison added that a dedicated case manager will be available for residents of the Old Wheat Street camp who accept housing offers.

“Everyone deserves access to housing and essential services,” Ellison said. “The residents at the encampment that we’ve spoken with want to be indoors.”

Vassell said signage was posted at the Old Wheat Street camp at least 15 days before the date of the planned closure, letting people know when it would happen.

She added that outreach teams have been working with the 14 encampment residents for several months, assessing their needs for housing, employment and public benefits and helping them obtain the needed documents.

Ellison said the Old Wheat Street camp will be cleared using safety measures recommended by a task force on homelessness response established after Taylor’s death.

If people try to return to the area of the encampment after it’s closed on Thursday, Cantin said police will refer them to resources “or we’ll have to take further steps.”

Cantin said signage at the camp notifying people of its closure on Thursday will be changed to notify people of a city ordinance that prohibits urban camping.