Atlanta's warming centers face new restrictions sparking heated debate
Restriction on warming centers in Atlanta draw ire
The Atlanta City Council has passed a controversial new restriction on homeless warming centers. The new measure bans those centers within a thousand feet of schools. Supporters say it’s a matter of safety. Others say the restriction is unfair to the homeless community and unnecessary.
ATLANTA - As temperatures plunged Friday night, Alvin Porter waited near Atlanta's Central Park for a spot in one of the city's two emergency warming centers. For Porter, who is experiencing homelessness, the centers are vital in the harsh winter weather.
"It’s a place where you can go when it’s cold. And you’re homeless," said Porter, whose Social Security benefits were recently cut off. "Just so happens that I’m out on the street without a place to stay."
These warming centers, lifelines for individuals like Porter, now face new restrictions. Earlier this week, the Atlanta City Council voted to limit where the centers can be located, sparking heated debate.
The legislation requests that no city-operated emergency warming center be located within 1,000 feet of any public, private, or parochial school. During the council meeting, housing advocates condemned the measure, arguing it perpetuates harmful stereotypes that equate homelessness with danger.
"It implies that if someone’s homeless, they’re inherently a threat to kids," critics said.
However, some community members supported the restrictions. Arleshia McMichael, Vice Chair of Public Safety for Neighborhood Planning Unit-H, spoke out about the impact of a warming center in Adamsville, which is just 200 feet from a school.
"It poses a threat not only to the community or the youth that’s involved. It’s also for the homeless because they don’t have the right resources that they need," McMichael said. She claimed the center’s proximity to the school has caused issues in the neighborhood. "Once they linger in the neighborhood, they don’t have funds either. They’re going to start robbing. They’re going to do something to get to whatever they need."
For people like Porter, the challenges remain daunting. Accessing shelters or warming centers is already difficult, he said. "I think they really are limited already because most of the shelters are full. You really can’t hardly get in one."
City Council member Andrea Boone, who introduced the bill, defended the legislation but emphasized that the centers are a temporary solution. She said the centers are a band aid and is urging the city to invest in more comprehensive services for the homeless population.
The Source: The details of the new ordinance were discussed at Monday night's Atlanta City Council meeting. A video of the full video has been embedded in the original article. The Atlanta City Council records also were used. FOX 5 Atlanta's Rob DiRienzo spoke with the measure's sponsor, City Council member Andrea Boone, and those who could potentially be impacted by the change.