Peachtree-Pine Homeless Shelter to Close After 20 Years and Much Struggle

The Task Force for the Homeless’s shelter at Peachtree and Pine that has offered temporary housing, advocacy and many creative programs to Atlanta’s homeless since 1997 will soon close, as Atlanta Progressive News reported. Former shelter director Anita Beaty was honored at MADSA’s 2010 Douglass-Debs awards dinner and has been a MADSA member. (Be sure to note the comment that follows APN’s article by MADSA member and Task Force board president Chuck Steffens.)

APN closes by pointing out that “The City of Atlanta has identified no plan to house the current residents of the Task Force and does not appear to have caused new resources to materialize that would provide new shelter beds to replace the ones that would be lost.”

I agree with Lorraine Fontana’s comment on Facebook: “So sad for all who have supported the Task Force’s legal action over the years, but especially for the men (and some women) served by Peachtree-Pine who will likely wander the streets, get arrested and jailed, or be made to exit Atlanta and try to find another option to get off the streets in harsh weather, etc. The City has mostly been for putting money into developing the Beltline (with its fancy and upscale related developments and displacement of nearby older neighborhood residents because real estate prices are going up), new stadiums and housing for the well-to-do, rather then services for the homeless, disabled, mentally ill and poor folks needing training and wellness services. Such is the state of our union….but we can’t give up the fight.”

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