Atlanta and its agencies have joined forces to implement their plan to “eliminate” homelessness before next summer’s World Cup. The city and its partners aim to house more than 400 people who live on the streets of downtown Atlanta.
The city initially offered housing to 14 people who had been sleeping in tents at the Old Wheat Street Encampment in downtown Atlanta. But after discovering twice as many people were living there, they agreed to help seven more.
“Whether or not these were residents at one time, we rallied the requisite amount of housing that we could for the individuals that were known to us,” Cathryn Vassell, CEO of Partners for HOME, an organization that provides services to Atlanta’s homeless community, told The Associated Press. “The additional names were brought at the last minute and we’re trying to rally like we do for everybody in our system an appropriate resource for them.”
However, the city and its partners face many challenges, including long waitlists for city-funded housing. Also, unhoused people are less likely to have documentation like IDs and Social Security cards because they often need an address to get these documents. Activists have criticized the city for policies that usually make it hard for unhoused residents to get help.
In January 2025, as city officials tried to clear the Old Wheat Street encampment, an Atlanta Department of Public Works vehicle fatally hit 46-year-old Cornelius Taylor while he was sleeping in his tent. The incident sparked public outrage, prompting the city to halt the project.
Tim Franzen, a member of the Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition and a critic of Atlanta’s housing policies, told the Associated Press that the city is unprepared to implement its plan to provide shelter for the homeless community.
“There’s been months to prepare for this. There’s not a real plan,” Franzen said. The World Cup tournament is expected to attract over 300,000 visitors. The Metro Atlanta Chamber estimates an economic impact exceeding $500 million.
RELATED CONTENT: Jeezy Hosts ‘Community Day’ In Celebration Of 20th Anniversary Of ‘Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101’
