05-05-2025
Advocates upset as city restarts homeless sweeps following man's death earlier this year
Homeless advocates shouted, 'Shame on the mayor' and the city of Atlanta for restarting the clearing of homeless encampments.
Mayor Andre Dickens pushed back, saying the city and its partners are working to safely remove the unhoused after a tragedy earlier this year.
Dickens said plenty of notice was given, and officers were on hand to safely remove the unhoused. That's after heavy equipment killed Cornelius Taylor while he was still in his tent on Old Wheat Street near Ebenezer Baptist Church in January.
Homeless advocates blasted the city for rebooting the sweeps during a news conference on Old Wheat Street.
'Shame on you Mr. Mayor,' Gus Hendricks said, who is unhoused and was a friend of Taylor's shouted.
'Shame,' those gathered at the news conference said in unison.
RELATED STORIES:
Volunteers cleaning up homeless camp where man killed by city vehicle
Funeral for Cornelius Taylor held at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta
Protestors want sweeps of homeless camps stopped after man killed by City of Atlanta bulldozer
Other speakers said the city shouldn't restart the sweeps without ensuring the city can put those removed in permanent housing.
'It does not need to be this way,' Alison Johnson with the Housing Justice League said.
Others also condemned the city's actions.
'It is violent to come and remove people,' Mawuli Davis, the attorney for Taylor's family said.
People at the news conference said we should never forget Taylor's name,
'Let us say his name. Cornelius Taylor,' Pastor Nolan English with Traveling Grace Ministries said to the crowd. The crowd responded: 'Cornelius Taylor.'
In a news release, Dickens says the city restarted the encampment closures based on the 2025 Task Force on Homelessness Response.
It urged safely removing encampments because they are a health and safety hazard.
The mayor also pointed out the encampments are unlawful when located under highways and bridges.
Police removed those living under I-20 on Pryor Street on Monday morning. Officers blocked off Pryor Street while they cleared the area.
Dickens said the unhoused will be relocated to safe and secure housing.
English didn't put much trust in the mayor's words.
'Safe and secure housing that is, one, temporary. And two, highly conditional,' English said.
Tim Franzen with the Coalition for Justice for Cornelius Taylor said the city will put up those removed in temporary shelters, and that's not the answer.
'These shelters that they end up in, oftentimes they're kicked out the next morning at 7,' Franzen said.
He said they will lose all their belongings in the sweeps and will have to start over. The advocates want permanent housing with wrap-around services.
The advocates told people in the encampments on Old Wheat Street they would be removed on Tuesday.
'I don't have nowhere to go,' Cecilia Chandler said as she moved her tent.
She said she is 65 and doesn't want to move. She was asked what she would tell the mayor.
'Please find us somewhere to stay.'
The mayor says the city and its partners are working to provide shelter referrals and transitions to permanent and supportive housing.
The mayor's office says it is not clearing the Old Wheat encampment on Tuesday.
