ATLANTA — In their continuing efforts to address homelessness in the city of Atlanta, a spokesman for the mayor’s office confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that two new initiatives would be coming in the process.
One will handle what has become a frequent problem, with unhoused individuals who have sought shelter under bridges in the city set fires for warmth, causing safety issues.
“As the Mayor has previously stated, the City and partners will begin to close bridge encampments in the coming weeks due to infrastructure safety, public safety and other serious concerns. This will be a compassionate operation, with a variety of services offered to our unsheltered population—including housing options, medical care and other services tailored to the unique needs of those we are serving,” the mayor’s office said in a statement to Channel 2 Action News.
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A recent example where this effort has gone from warm to damaging is the closure of the Cheshire Bridge Road bridge, following a fire causing structural damage and shutting the spot down. At this time, the bridge is closed indefinitely, pending repairs and rebuilding of the structure.
In December, city officials worked to clear some of the encampments, in response to the potential for similar dangers under Atlanta’s bridges and other infrastructure. Another fire under a bridge was put out on Feb. 12 in Atlanta, less than a mile from the Cheshire Bridge Road fire’s location.
Additionally, with homelessness top of mind as an issue city officials must address, an ordinance was proposed by the Atlanta City Council which would limit certain access to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, citing concerns over a growing number of homeless individuals seeking shelter in the airport’s terminals.
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Separately, a spokesman for the mayor’s office also told Channel 2 Action News that there are plans in the works to convert the former Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center’s Atheltic Club into a temporary emergency shelter. The facility closed in October 2022.
“The City intends to utilize what was formerly known as the Athletic Club of the Atlanta Medical Center campus as a temporary emergency shelter to provide assistance to individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness as we continue to construct and identify longer-term housing solutions like The Melody,” the mayor’s office said.
It is unclear at this time if the conversion to an emergency shelter and the sweep of homeless encampments under Atlanta bridges will be a joint effort to relocate the individuals into the shelter, or if another initiative may be forthcoming.
Channel 2 Action News has asked the mayor’s office for further clarification, and for an estimate on how many individuals they expect to relocate from this effort. We are waiting for their response.
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