Atlanta legislation on homeless reviews & camp clearing moratorium [Video]

ATLANTA — Two pieces of legislation introduced by the Atlanta City Council this week would establish a review of city homelessness policies and install a temporary moratorium on homeless encampment clearings.

The new push to take stock of Atlanta’s approach to homelessness comes following the death this month of 44-year-old Cornelius Taylor during an encampment clearing. Taylor was fatally run over by a front loader as he was inside his tent on Jan. 16 in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, and his death in such a jarring manner drew condemnation from community activists and city lawmakers.

The clearouts of homeless encampments have been criticized by advocates as dangerous and dehumanizing. Mayor Andre Dickens, in a message posted to social media Friday, defended them as a necessary part of rehousing people and diverting people experiencing homelessness out of spaces he called “incredibly unsafe.”

“Make no mistake, we must do everything in our power to safely …