Family, activists demand pause on homeless encampment sweeps after Atlanta man's death
Family of homeless man killed wants policy change
The family and advocates for a homeless man killed when Atlanta's Public Works Department cleared an encampment spent the day at Atlanta City Hall, demanding action from city leaders.
ATLANTA - The family of a man killed by an Atlanta City Public Works truck are pushing for a pause to homeless encampment sweeps.
Community organizations and the family of Cornelius Taylor will hold a rally at Atlanta City Hall on Thursday to push for the policy change.
Man killed during homeless camp clearing
The backstory:
According to the City of Atlanta Department of Public Works, Taylor and a city vehicle were involved in a "tragic incident" a week ago on Old Wheat Street, close to Ebenezer Baptist Church and the King Center.
According to city officials, the crews were working to clear a homeless camp in the area.
"Our department routinely clears encampments that pose health and public safety concerns, always following days of outreach to connect unsheltered individuals with housing and support services," a statement from DPW reads in part.
Calls for action after homeless man killed
Activists and community members held a vigil to honor a man who was killed while city workers cleared a homeless camp. They also demand that the city be held accountable to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Witnesses at the camp and homeless outreach groups told FOX 5 a garbage truck ran over the man while he was in his tent.
One resident of the camp said that Taylor was asleep when city crews arrived at the camp and announced they were going to clear away the tents.
He later died at the hospital.
Some activists have accused the City of clearing the homeless encampment because of its proximity to The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The city has denied that.
Rally to change Atlanta's homeless camp policy
What they're saying:
Most of the speakers at Thursday's public comment section spoke in support of the Taylor family. Many demanded changes and said Atlanta does not treat its unhoused people with humanity.
Atlanta City Councilwoman Lilliana Bakhtiari opened the meeting with remarks about the untimely death. "There has to be a change in how we handle homelessness. It is not working. It has not been working." The councilwoman called for a moratorium on clearing homeless encampments until the city determines what went wrong in Taylor's case.
Taylor’s family had a demand letter they wanted to give to Mayor Dickens. They say police prevented them from delivering that. The mayor’s office said Dickens was not in the building when the family was trying to make the delivery. They also stated that the family refused to hand the letter over to a representative.
Organizers say Thursday's rally will call for a moratorium on the sweeps.
"What’s clear is that Atlanta’s approach to ending homelessness has failed. Gone are the days when we can sit back and allow the city to play whack a mole with human beings in struggle. Instead of making this crisis less visible, it’s time we push our city leaders to address the root of the problem," Housing Justice League's Alison Johnson said in a statement.
The other side:
After Taylor's death, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said the city is planning to examine the procedures that led to Taylor's death.
"I am saddened by this terrible incident and extend my thoughts and prayers to the family of the deceased. I care deeply about each and every life in this city. We will review each of our processes and procedures and take every precaution to ensure this never happens again and while we continue our important work to house our unsheltered population and bring our neighbors inside," Dickens wrote.
What's next:
Councilwoman Bakhtiari introduced a paper asking for a moratorium on clearing homeless camps. That legislation was referred to the Community Development and Human Services committee.
The Source: Information for this story came from a release by the Housing Justice League and previous FOX 5 reporting. FOX 5's Aungelique Proctor spoke to several protesters and Atlanta City Councilwoman Lilliana Bakhtiari. This story has been updated to reflect new detais.