Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens threw his support behind a moratorium on homeless encampment clearings on Friday, amid calls for changes to the city’s homeless strategy after a sweep by city workers left a man dead.
In a video posted to his Instagram account, Dickens said there was a need to “reevaluate and reassess our city’s policies concerning homeless encampments.”
Cornelius Taylor died Jan. 16 after a Department of Public Works construction vehicle crushed him in his tent, according to witness accounts, as the city forced people out of the camp for Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
“I’ve spoken to a number of Mr. Taylor’s family members and expressed my condolences and discussed the next steps,” Dickens said. “I am deeply saddened by this incident, and my heart goes out to all who knew and loved him. But more than that, my heart breaks for every Atlantan without a roof over their heads.”
Dickens said he worked with District 1 Councilman Jason Winston to introduce legislation calling for a review of city policies and procedures for encampment closures.
The measure would include a temporary moratorium on sweeps so the city can “strengthen our policies and expand our outreach efforts, ensuring that this work can be done safely, and that a tragedy like this never happens again.”
Dickens added that “homelessness is not a crime,” but the city must “safely and humanely close these encampments and provide housing and stability to our neighbors who have found themselves out in the cold.”
The Atlanta Police Department’s homicide unit is leading the ongoing investigation, and has not revealed exact details surrounding the circumstances of Taylor’s death. But police said Friday that an incident report is in the “process of being completed.”
In a statement, Housing Justice League Executive Director Alison Johnson said Dickens “could not do this work alone,” but added that it was imperative that people experiencing homelessness have a seat at the table so that any change in policy is meaningful.
“While we thank the mayor for his apology, tonight there are dozens of people sleeping outside,” Johnson said. “We must acknowledge that the current approach is not effective, and could possibly leave people unsheltered in more danger. These outdated policies must change.”
Dickens’ announcement comes after religious and community leaders, along with Taylor’s family members, rallied at City Hall on Thursday to demand an end to the sweeps and a full investigation into his death.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
District 5 Councilwoman Liliana Bakhtiari cosponsored a separate resolution Thursday with District 12 Councilman Antonio Lewis calling for a moratorium on clearing encampments until city officials can guarantee they are safe. She criticized the city’s homeless strategy but warned against scapegoating city employees for Taylor’s death.
“Cornelius Taylor’s life mattered,” Bakhtiari said. “Until we are certain that the appropriate measures are in place to avoid a similar tragedy, this moratorium isn’t just warranted, it’s demanded.”
Dickens has dedicated much of his first term in office to the issue of affordable housing and rapid rehousing of the homeless population. In September, he announced the city would commit $60 million in public funding to address the issue.
But his administration has also overseen the clearing of several homeless encampments after a fire at a homeless encampment in December 2023 closed a portion of Cheshire Bridge Road for several months.
The timing and location of the sweep, on a street close to the Ebenezer Baptist Church where Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. delivered sermons, was not lost on housing advocates who argued the city was intent on keeping homeless people out of sight and out of mind during the celebrations.
Dickens talked about Taylor during a speech at the church on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He said Friday in his address that he delivered the speech “just steps away from where Mr. Taylor lost his life.”
“The loss of Cornelius Taylor was a terrible accident, and we will meet this tragic moment with compassion, with urgency and with love, so that it never happens again,” Dickens said.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
