Groups search for new solutions to homelessness after bill bans public camping

By Doug Reardon

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    ATLANTA, Georgia (WANF) — At the First Step Camp in Athens, Michael Hanlon walks among the tents that are erected on the private property behind an abandoned school. He and his chihuahua, Tiny, have lived at the legal homeless encampment for a month and it’s certainly better than where he came from.

Last year, due to high blood pressure, Hanlon temporarily lost his vision, then his roommate, then his job, and finally his home. He still remembers his traumatizing first night out on the streets.

“I put a tent, on the sidewalk, and my very first night, I got robbed for $70 and a pack of cigarettes, my very first night out,” he said. “Sometimes it’s not your fault. For me there was nothing I could do, it happened so suddenly. I was unable to fix myself before I lost everything.”

Michael doesn’t do drugs, doesn’t drink, and suffers from no mental health issues. But he said the stigma of being homeless was an unbearable weight he couldn’t seem to overcome – until he moved into First Step.

The encampment, paid for with a $2.5 million grant from the local government over two years, might just be a novel solution to the issue of homelessness at a time when it’s most needed.

Georgia legislators recently passed a bill that would force municipalities to enforce bans on public camping, something so many in the homeless community have had to resort to.

The idea of a legal, regulated campsite for those without permanent housing is something First Step founder, Charles Hardy, believes more people should get behind.

“We decided, hey, why not pitch the idea to the government to get some land and try to set up something legally,” he said. “There’s nothing no different from me and you to them, there’s nothing no different, and that’s why I hate when people stereotype people trying to get back in society.”

Of the hundreds of nonprofits Hardy says there are in Athens, his Athens Alliance Coalition was the only one to submit for funding. Now, they have 55 tents and serve the local homeless population with food, shelter, clothing, hygiene supplies, job and health resources, and safety every day of the week. People are able to bring in and store their belongings, often only coming with what they can carry on their backs.

Hardy was disheartened by the ban on public camping and feels it isn’t getting the people he helps any closer to an easier life.

“What I think they should have done was say hey, look, let’s get these people together and see what they need to get help, to get out of the woods,” he said. “Not subject to lock them up because they ain’t got nowhere to go.”

Down the road, at Bigger Vision Shelter in Athens, executive director Ryan Hersh is worried about the impact the ban could have on more traditional shelters.

“There’s naturally some concern about how things will change, especially if there’s an influx,” said Hersh, “because we’re typically full every night anyways.”

Hersh says they serve 35 people each night, many of whom have jobs but no homes.

“We’re very concerned about the wellbeing of people we serve who are campers who don’t necessarily stay here but come for other services,” Hersh continued. “We’re worried they’re not going to be able to access those services if they’re being forced away from where they’re living, even if it is in a camp situation.”

The bill also prohibits hospitals and law enforcement from transporting homeless individuals outside their jurisdiction.

Hersh says until the underlying root of the homelessness issue – lack of affordable housing – can be fixed, people don’t have options.

“There’s nowhere for them to live, where are they going to go?” he said. “It’s complex and it’s simple at the same time. If there’s nowhere for somebody to move into, and it’s not affordable, they’re going to camp.”

It’s certainly not a choice for most, like Hanlon. He’s getting better though – his vision is improving thanks to healthcare provided by First Step, and next month, he hopes to get his old job back and move into his own apartment. His message to lawmakers in the meantime is a simple one.

“They need to come try this for themselves one time,” he says with a chuckle. “They think it’s so simple and easy. To make me a criminal for being homeless, I mean, where are they solving the problem?”

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