The City of Atlanta and Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) began clearing a large homeless encampment under the Downtown Connector on Monday morning, May 5.
In a news release emailed to Rough Draft hours after the clearing had begun at 7:30 a.m., the city said it was working with GDOT on a “comprehensive closure and clearing of the encampment located along Pryor Street near the I-75/85 corridor.”
The press release said the closure was following the recommendations of the 2025 Task Force on Homelessness Response, which was established after an unhoused man, Cornelius Taylor, was struck and killed by a construction vehicle during the clearing of an encampment on Old Wheat Street in January.
The Atlanta City Council approved legislation at its Feb. 3 meeting to create the homelessness task force and paused the use of heavy machinery during sweeps of encampments.
The city said signs were posted April 23 to notify people in the Pryor Street encampment of the imminent clearing project. “Outreach teams are actively working with residents to connect them with resources,” the new release said. “The Atlanta Police Department (APD) will assist with traffic control and ensure safety throughout the operation.”
The clearing is part of a “coordinated, multi-agency response to safety hazards posed by encampments located on state right-of-way and under bridge structures—areas where urban camping is prohibited under Georgia law (GA 32-6-6).”
The city said those found camping in the area would be offered shelter referrals, transition to permanent and supportive housing, transportation, and other outreach
“Living in these encampments is not safe for the people living there, the surrounding communities or the public at large,” Mayor Andre Dickens said in a statement. “They pose serious health, life and safety risks that we have a moral obligation to address. Following the newly created recommendations from our taskforce, and after weeks of outreach, our neighbors will be relocated to safe and secure housing that will put them on the road to self-sufficiency.”
