DOT uses boulders to prevent homeless camps under Atlanta interstates

ATLANTA — Tents and homeless camps are nothing unusual for anyone who regularly drives along interstates in downtown Atlanta, but now some of the most popular encampments have been replaced by rocks.

City leaders say they have helped about a hundred people find shelter since the Georgia Department of Transportation lined the land underneath Interstate 20 ramps and overpasses with large rocks.

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The DOT says it’s illegal for people to live under these bridges and there have been some recent fires that caused major traffic backups.

Kamau Franklin is the lead organizer with an advocacy organization called “Community Movement Builders.” The group helps people find jobs and shelter and their services have been in demand as the pandemic stretches on.

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Franklin thinks the rocks are just a bandage that won’t fix things.

“It’s a ridiculous waste of people power, man power,” Franklin said. “They take these easy methods or steps which really don’t do anything to change the policy, but again, it keeps the problem going or makes it even worse.”

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Atlanta city officials told Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes that they worked with the people living in the tents for several weeks and helped those who wanted help.

Franklin thinks the city isn’t fulfilling its promise to fight homelessness in Atlanta.

“I think the city has been famous for proclamations and statements and resolutions for what its going to do to alleviate poverty, but they’ve been really poor on keeping any of their promises.”

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