ATLANTA — As nights and early mornings get colder, many in the city’s homeless population take shelter at the Atlanta airport. Now, the Atlanta City Council voted on a resolution to get them much-needed help.
It’s estimated up to 200 people a night sleep inside the atrium and domestic terminal.
“The [MARTA] train stops at about 1:20 in the morning, and after that time about three to four trains roll into the airport that are not exiting the airport and these trains are filled with the homeless population,” advocate Keith Hardrick said.
On Monday, the Atlanta City Council unanimously passed Monday a resolution urging airport officials to come up with a plan to provide assistance and support services.
The council also approved up to $500,000 for the airport to enter “an emergency procurement with a service provider” to implement a support services program, according to the resolution.
The resolution also asks the airport to consider expanding areas open to the public and not just ticketed passengers. The airport general manager has 30 days to submit a written response to the council.
After the transportation committee passed the resolution on Friday, airport officials sent the following statement:
“ATL’s top priority is to provide a safe, secure and efficient experience for the passengers and employees who utilize the facility every day. We continue to work with our partners to address any issues of people experiencing homelessness seeking shelter at ATL. The Airport will direct those needing aid to appropriate alternatives and wrapround services while maintaining operations at the world’s busiest airport.”
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