Atlanta committee bars heavy equipment at encampment clearings, creates 90‑day homelessness task force

At a Jan. meeting of the City of Atlanta Community Development/Human Services Committee, members voted unanimously to place a moratorium on use of heavy equipment during encampment clearings, request sanitation services for people living in encampments and to establish a 90‑day homelessness task force that must make an initial report within 45 days.

The action comes after multiple public commenters called for an end to “sweeps” of encampments following the death of Cornelius Taylor. Several speakers equated the city’s current clearing practices with the circumstances that led to Taylor’s death and asked councilmembers to stop using heavy machinery in sites where people are living. “We are calling for an immediate end to the sweeping of villages and encampments where Atlanta’s unhoused residents live,” read a statement delivered by Willie Davis on behalf of Taylor’s family.

Why it matters: Advocates and residents told the committee that current clearing practices uproot fragile stability, destroy belongings and push people farther from services, and they demanded permanent policy changes. Committee members and city staff said city processes need review and better coordination with service providers.

Public comment and pressure

Dozens of people spoke during the public‑comment period, many urging the committee to stop short‑term pauses and instead end encampment sweeps indefinitely. Advocate Tim Franzen said, “I maintain that, it is my belief that, what drove that bulldozer was Atlanta’s policy, and that’s what needs to be confronted and changed.” Organizer Matthew Nursi of the Housing Justice League told the committee he and his group “demand that we put a stop to the sweeps.” Multiple speakers asked for permanent housing solutions, better outreach and support for existing wraparound services.

Officials’ response and task force

Shatika Ellison, director of special projects in the mayor’s office, told the committee the administration wants a broader, coordinated review of the city’s approach. “We need a more aerial view of all the resources that are available and all the people that are working in the various encampments,” she said, and read a list of community, faith‑based and service organizations the administration invited to participate on the task force. The task force’s charge, as substituted and passed by the committee, directs the group to examine encampment clearing, outreach, family reunification, medical and mental‑health responses and community engagement. The task force is required to hold no fewer than four public meetings, file an initial report to the mayor and council within 45 days of the resolution’s approval and issue a final report within 90 days.

Policy changes approved

Committee members unanimously approved a substituted resolution that places a moratorium on the use of heavy equipment in encampment closures “until such time that procedures can be reviewed and updated to ensure the safety of residents.” The substitute also requests — rather than legally requires — that sanitation services (trash pickup, sanitary services) be provided to unhoused residents and asks the Atlanta Continuum of Care to produce a public report on current encampment procedures and practices. Council members amended the substitute to align its 45‑day timing with the new task force’s schedule so community groups could participate in producing recommendations.

Votes at a glance

- 25R3082 (moratorium on heavy equipment): approved as substituted and amended; vote recorded as 5 yays, 0 nays. Notes: substitute changed a 30‑day timing to 45 days; sanitary services are requested in the operable clause rather than mandated.

- 25R3086 (homelessness task force): approved as substituted and amended; vote recorded as 5 yays, 0 nays. Notes: task force to hold at least four public meetings; initial report due within 45 days; final report due within 90 days.

- 25R3083 (expand East Atlanta outreach pilot): approved; vote recorded as 5 yays, 0 nays. Notes: commits city funding to expand the pilot model of a full‑time case manager and outreach team that was piloted in East Atlanta.

What the resolutions do and next steps

The moratorium halts use of heavy machinery at encampment clearings pending a review; it asks the Atlanta Continuum of Care to report publicly on practices and requests sanitation services for encampments. The task force will bring together city departments, service providers, faith groups and community organizations (the mayor’s office noted partners including Partners for Home, InTown Cares, Housing Justice League, Mercy Care, Wheat Street Baptist, Ebenezer Baptist Church and other local groups) to recommend operational and policy changes. The committee and staff said they expect the task force to convene public meetings and deliver the required reports on the 45‑ and 90‑day timelines set by the committee.

Public reaction and outstanding questions

Speakers and advocates at the meeting insisted the committee move beyond temporary pauses and toward permanent changes in practice and funding that prioritize housing‑first interventions. Some asked for clearer timelines and for the administration to demonstrate how the task force recommendations will translate into new procedures, funding, or enforcement changes. Committee members said they expect community participation in the task force and signaled willingness to extend or act on the task force’s recommendations after the initial report.

The committee’s measures will now be part of the record sent to full council and to relevant city agencies. The task force’s initial findings are due to the mayor and city council within 45 days of the committee’s approval.