JUNE 2025

Let’s talk about Encampments.

Recently, I have noticed a rise in conversations surrounding the decommissioning of encampments across our city, state, and the U.S.  

Last month, the governor of California made headline news when he asked cities to ban all encampments across the state of California “without delay.” There have been discussions, protests, and outcries for change, but when I discussed this news with my peers, it was brought to my attention that there was a lot of misinformation around the encampments in general, and especially in our city. In my opinion, closing an encampment is only a band-aid solution to a much deeper wound.  

What are encampments? The City of Atlanta and Partners for Home defines an encampment as: 

“A site with 3+ structures and/or 7+ individuals. Structures can include a cardboard box, tent, makeshift shelter, or sleeping bag, which someone might refer to as their home base. Not in a place designated for recreational camping or outdoor sleeping. Present for 1+ week.”  

 

Encampment communities are comprised of groups of individuals attempting to survive while determining their next steps toward permanent housing. The blanket statement that all encampments are dangerous is simply not true. Encampments are often formed to allow for community and protection because an individual is much more vulnerable when sleeping alone.  

There is a misconception that unhoused individuals in encampments don’t want any help; I have found the opposite to be true. Most individuals are not “service resistant,” but there is not a one-size-fits-all solution for everyone. Like any relationship, people have specific needs, and a level of trust must be built with each individual if permanent solutions are to be found. 

What does decommissioning an encampment mean? It doesn’t mean making people leave without notice or help. The intent is to provide each individual with the opportunity for alternative housing solutions, such as shelter and rapid housing projects before they are forced off the property. It is a collaborative effort between outreach case managers, mental health providers, housing providers, and law enforcement and should not be rushed. 

On May 5, the Pryor Street encampment, located under I-20 and the 75/85 interchange, was decommissioned. It was made up of approximately 115 tents, making it the biggest encampment that I have personally experienced in Atlanta.  

With the influx of individuals who come to the heart of the city of Atlanta in search of help, our resources are quickly depleted. We must constantly pivot to maintain the safety and well-being of our unhoused neighbors.  

ADID provides supportive services. The individuals that we engage have vastly different stories; some are suffering financial hardship, others have mental health challenges, others struggle with addiction, and more and more people are facing job insecurity and finding themselves in circumstances that they never thought they would be in. The harsh truth is that we’re all a few unexpected turns away from finding ourselves unhoused and in an encampment. And I think that's an uncomfortable—yet crucial—fact to keep in mind any time we talk about homelessness.