Court blocks homeless task force eviction from shelter

Less than two weeks after a Fulton County superior court judge told the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless that it must relinquish control of a midtown shelter, that decision was blocked by the Georgia Court of Appeals on Wednesday.

The decision overrides the previous ruling by Superior Court Judge Craig Schwall, who had ordered the task force’s founders to vacate the controversial homeless shelter located at Peachtree and Pine streets by Wednesday.  

Control of the shelter was to be handed to the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, which is to assist the men who stay there find homes before the transition of the property to the building owners by the end of August.

The task force had previously appealed the eviction. Atlanta Progressive News reported that the Court of Appeals granted the stay until "it decides on the issues involving whether the Task Force can make a direct appeal to the Court."

CBS Atlanta reported that some shelter volunteers question whether the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta will be able to effectively pull together its assistance resources.

The president of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, Milton Little, said his group’s ‘Operation RESPECT,’ was ready to successfully complete the assignment. In a released statement, Little said:

United Way of Metropolitan respects the Court of Appeals ruling on Peachtree-Pine men's shelter and continues its commitment to meeting the human needs created by the imminent closing of the shelter.  United Way has in place a clear program, Operation RESPECT, to oversee the transition of the men at a time when the court order mandates the shelter's closure. This program will ensure that everyone is offered a place to go and that they are treated with dignity through an efficient and respectful process. For now, we will continue to deepen our resources and focus on the relationships that comprise the collective community response that strives to end chronic homelessness.  

Through its successful Street to Home program and other outreach initiatives, United Way's Regional Commission on Homelessness will continue to address this critical need and provide resources and services to help alleviate the hardships that the homeless face on a daily basis.

How do you feel about this most recent development with the shelter?