Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition seeks change

Nearly a year after the death of Cornelius Taylor, a coalition of advocates is still fighting for wraparound services for residents facing homelessness.

On Oct. 6, members of the Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition spoke to Atlanta City Council, advocating for a housing-first approach to addressing homelessness ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The coalition was created after Taylor died in January during a city “sweep” of the “Backstreet” encampment on Old Wheat Street. Taylor was inside his when a Department of Public Works front loader crushed him.

The coalition was a member of the city’s Homelessness Task Force, created to review and establish new policies on homelessness following Taylor’s death, but withdrew in May.

After leaving the task force, the coalition published a policy proposal prioritizing permanent housing and individualized care addressing mental and physical health, chemical dependency, trauma, unemployment, and more, according to reporting from the Atlanta Community Press Collective.

“The Old Wheat Street homeless survivors to this day still grieve and carry the trauma of the loss of Cornelius, who was a friend, a neighbor and a family member to us,” Allen Hall, a survivor of the Old Wheat Street encampment, said at Monday’s council meeting. “After Cornelius’ death, the city made promises but did not follow through. We are calling on the City of Atlanta to change its approach to encampment evictions, policies that focus on getting homeless people out of sight. It’s not a solution, it’s violence. What killed Cornelius Taylor was not a guy driving a front loader. It was years of bad policy… We call on the city of Atlanta to take a humane approach – housing-first has been proved to be the most effective approach to homelessness, with wraparound services so homeless people can build a path to long term stability and dignity.”

Advocates also called for a change in policy and funding within the existing Continuum of Care framework, which differs from the coalition’s proposed housing-first approach by moving residents through stages of support before they receive permanent housing.

“First, fund the programs in the Continuum of Care,” Jonathan Holly, a member of the coalition, said. “The conditions in Welcome House are not hygienic and not safe. Housing without funding is not enough… Second, commit to stopping all homeless sweeps. The World Cup is not worth another person’s death, obviously. And third, lest future citizens and future governments forget this shameful chapter in our city’s story, rename Old Wheat Street to Cornelius Taylor Street. And don’t you dare do that third one without the first two.”

Partners for Home, the lead organization in Atlanta’s Continuum of Care, released its $212 million “Atlanta Rising” plan earlier this year, which addressed prevention and diversion, housing and system infrastructure, holistic programmatic services, and dedicated outreach to Downtown Atlanta, the neighborhood that will see the most visitors during the FIFA World Cup next July with matches at Mercedes Benz Stadium. However, unhoused Atlantans and their advocates fear the displacement of Atlantans similar to that of the lead-up to the 1996 Olympics. Roughly 30,000 people were displaced from their homes between 1990 and 1996, over 9,000 homeless residents were arrested under laws passed in 1991 hyper-criminalizing homelessness.

“Cornelius Taylor’s life mattered,” Hall said. “What happened to Cornelius Taylor must never happen again.”

The Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition will host a vigil of Taylor in honor of his birthday on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. at the site of his death on Old Wheat Street.