As the World Cup approaches next summer, Atlanta city officials are taking steps to ensure that guests feel comfortable and welcomed during the event. Mayor Andre Dickens has expressed a commitment to addressing the presence of unsheltered individuals in downtown Atlanta, stating that the city wants to create an environment where visitors are not disturbed by homelessness.
During a recent press conference, Dickens made it clear that the city is focusing on preventing unsheltered individuals from being in downtown Atlanta, not only during the World Cup but also in the lead-up to the event. He noted, “We want to make sure those unsheltered individuals don’t come anywhere downtown, and throughout the city of Atlanta, not just during the World Cup, but now.”
In addition to these measures, Dickens promised to provide services for issues related to substance abuse and mental illness, as well as housing support. However, he emphasized that the city would enforce the law and that illegal activities would be addressed just like any other lawbreakers.
Homeless advocate Bob Cramer has drawn parallels between Dickens’s approach and strategies implemented during the 1996 Olympics. Cramer, who chaired the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless in the 1990s, recalled similar efforts to clean up the city for large events, stating, “Every big event, we have to clean it up for visitors.”
In the lead-up to the 1996 Olympics, the city enacted laws intended to manage homelessness, including a “public nuisance” law that empowered police to take a tougher stance on homelessness. Cramer noted that the Task Force often opposed city initiatives that criminalized homelessness, a theme that has recurred in Atlanta’s history.
In 1991, with the Olympics approaching, law enforcement initiated an enforcement operation that led to numerous arrests. Accounts from the time revealed that police were familiar with homeless individuals and were actively seeking to address their presence on the streets.
Lou Arcangeli, a former deputy chief of the Atlanta Police Department who led Olympic planning, denied that there was a concerted effort to round up the homeless during that period. Instead, he suggested that the police enforced basic compliance with laws to ensure the area was safe and welcoming for visitors.
“We were going to have law-abiding homelessness and panhandling,” Arcangeli explained, highlighting the challenge of balancing public order with compassion for those who are homeless. While being homeless is not a criminal offense, a visible concentration of homeless individuals can deter businesses and visitors from frequenting certain areas.
This issue of visible homelessness is a longstanding concern in Atlanta, with individuals like former editorial page editor Cynthia Tucker expressing frustration over the conditions in downtown parks, stating that they contributed to her decision to avoid certain areas.
The question of how to address homelessness effectively has troubled city leaders for decades. In 1987, then-mayor Andrew Young infamously went undercover as a homeless man for 36 hours to shed light on the struggles faced by the unhoused. His experience highlighted the social barriers that persist even among those in positions of power.
Young stated, “We just don’t want to see the homeless,” noting that the stigma surrounding homelessness often leads to a lack of compassion from the general public.
In recent years, data on homelessness in Atlanta has been inconsistent. The annual “Point in Time” count showed a significant decrease in the homeless population from 5,987 in 2011 to approximately 2,000 in 2022. However, that number has recently risen near 2,900, with over 1,000 individuals sleeping outside, suggesting a troubling trend that some believe contradicts the official statistics.
Many residents feel that homelessness in the area is more visible than ever, perhaps due to fewer people on the streets and the stark contrast presented by those who are homeless. The perception that there are more homeless individuals is compounded by a changing urban landscape, which has seen businesses leave and downtown areas decline.
Despite differing perspectives, both Arcangeli and Cramer commend Mayor Dickens for taking on the complex issue of homelessness. Arcangeli acknowledged the difficulty of addressing such a pervasive problem and affirmed the courage it takes for city leaders to confront it head-on.
Cramer echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of compassionate solutions for the city’s homeless population while also recognizing the need for public safety and order as Atlanta prepares to host the World Cup.
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