Urban Camping Ban

At the September 29th DeKalb County Commission meeting, volunteers Lindsey Ferrell and Ellen Gallow, volunteers with A Home For Everyone In DeKalb, spoke out against the proposed urban camping ordinance. Lindsey is a teacher at St. Pius X High School and regularly gives out lunches on the weekends to unhoused neighbors. She spoke at the meeting, pleading with commissioners to "tear up the ordinance."

Lindsey shared her reflections about being at the meeting. "I'm so appreciate of A Home for Everyone In Dekalb for so many reasons. They've made me a better local citizen." Through her work with AHFEID, she has learned more about our unhoused neighbors and has used this knowledge in her classroom.

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"I teach at a Catholic High School and we do an activity called the Paul the Sixth Circle of Action. You become aware of something, you learn about it, and delve into the systemic issues and injustices, and then you have to take action, but your action is going to lead you to more awareness. It shouldn’t be I’m handing out a sandwich and I’m done."

"I signed the petition, I started following the meeting minutes and then I could be free so I could be there. What a difference as a local citizen to be like, oh my gosh, this is what these meetings do! It was very very interesting to be there.”

Amidst the discussion, Commisioner Michelle Long Spears gave up some of her speaking time to Greg White, Executive Director of AHFEID. Spears asked White to bring several individuals with lived experience with homelessness to come to the microphone. This was in response to District 5 Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson’s comment that she hasn’t seen homeless individuals in the City of Decatur.

Each of these individuals spoke to the fact that they had been unhoused in the City of Decatur. Princess Wilkes, who is currently unhoused, stated that the City of Decatur is in fact her home and that she would not abandon her home. Commissioner Spears made a motion to withdraw the ordinance but, unfortunately, that motion didn’t get enough votes to pass and instead commissioners voted to delay the vote until October 13.

Citizens are encouraged to attend the Employee Relations and Public Safety Committee meeting on October 6, at 2:15 p.m. (178 Sams Street, Decatur, Multipurpose Room A1201) when the Urban Camping Ordinance will be discussed. Community neighbors need safe places to sleep besides shelters. Create safe zones in open parking lots for men, women and families. Jail can’t be the resting place and the cycle can’t be bench, jail, and back to the bench. Compassion, Collaboration and Creative Thinking bring about solutions. 

You can sign AHFEID's petition against this proposed urban camping ordinance Here.

Read more about the commission meeting from Decaturish.