Atlanta City Council Approves $3.1 Million to Coordinate Shelter and Support for Unsheltered Population
ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council authorized two resolutions to donate $3.1 million to assist local support services for the city’s unsheltered population.
The Council authorized a donation of $2.4 million to Partners for Home to support its efforts to identify areas where individuals and families experiencing homelessness are living underneath bridges and overpasses and to help provide permanent housing, incorporate assistance programs, and take necessary actions to clean and safeguard the areas from future risks to public safety. This item was an immediate consideration and sent to the mayor’s office post-haste.
The Council approved a resolution to authorize a $700,000 donation from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to the Gateway Center to support coordinated shelter and supportive services for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in the city (24-R-3003).
Other items approved include:
• A resolution supporting the passage of Georgia House Bill 451, recognizing the importance of providing essential mental health support and specialized insurance coverage to first responders facing occupational post-traumatic stress disorder (24-R-3011).
• A resolution encouraging the Georgia General Assembly to amend the official code to allow counties and municipalities the ability to regulate rent to be charged for privately owned single-family or multiple-unit residential properties for the purpose of promoting equity and affordability to those residing within the state (23-R-4183).
• A communication from Mayor Andre Dickens appointing Mr. John Flanagan to serve as commissioner of the Department of Labor and Employment Services for the City of Atlanta (24-C-5004).
• A resolution to establish a commission to honor the 150th anniversary of the 1st Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops formed in Atlanta under Bishop Henry McNeil Turner (24-R-3001).
• An ordinance authorizing a service agreement with Mercy Care to provide comprehensive healthcare to patients experiencing financial challenges (24-O-1005).
Proclamations and recognition were presented in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Neighborhood Planning Unit System and the Atlanta Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. centennial.
Items were introduced for consideration in committee, including:
• An ordinance to amend the regulations related to taxicab and rideshare services by providing that a taxicab may utilize a portable wireless device as a taximeter, repeal the requirement for taxicab companies to paint their vehicles the same, to raise the permissible age of a taxi or rideshare vehicle to 10 years, cancel the provision of a vehicle inspection to obtain a permit to operate at the airport, and cancel the CPNC renewal fee.
• A resolution to enter into an intergovernmental agreement between the City of Atlanta and the Housing Authority to perform environmental reviews for projects and activities that receive federal financial assistance as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• A resolution to establish an energy burden fund supporting the installation and outfitting of energy efficiency measures for owners occupying residences experiencing financial hardships, rental units, and multifamily dwellings.
• A resolution to enter a memorandum between the City of Atlanta and Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless, Inc. for the performance of an environmental review for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Economic Development Initiative Community Project Funding for the proposed Forrest Hills Drive warehouse plan and reimbursement for all costs associated with the environmental review.
