Cornelius Taylor’s life was honored during a vigil on his 47th birthday, according to a report from Atlanta News First.
In January, a front-loader truck crushed Taylor while he was in a tent on Old Wheat Street. The Department of Public Works was conducting street sweeping and didn’t check Taylor’s tent.
Old Wheat St was a homeless encampment cleared by the city of Atlanta in July. The city temporarily paused street sweeping after Taylor’s death.
An autopsy report revealed Taylor’s spleen and liver were lacerated, while his pelvis was cracked in half, according to the Guardian.
The Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition was created after his death.
Georgia Equality Statewide Organizing Manager Noel Heatherland expressed their frustrations about Taylor’s death.
“Sweeps of our unhoused neighbors and friends should not happen when we have a city that doesn’t utilize rent control policies,” Heatherland, who is a member of the Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition, said. “There’s only so much I can do to help homeless people, but the city has to make the changes.”
Heatherland described the challenges of making ends meet and finding ways to pay bills and rent on time.
“The vast majority of us, I would say 85 percent of the population, is closer to ending up in a tent on Old Wheat Street,” Heatherland said. “We’re much easier to a path to find ourselves to needing a tent of the streets.”
Taylor’s situation sheds light on the serious issue of homelessness.
Residents in Atlanta have voiced their frustrations with how the city is handling homelessness.
During a city council meeting held on Oct.6, Latrice Chaney, a member of the Justice for Cornelius Taylor Coalition, advocated for the state to stop incriminating homeless people. Chaney also wants the city to provide wrap-around services.
“Wrap-around services is about people having proper mental health services, resources and support,” Heatherland said.
OpGov.Ai reached out to District 5 Council member Liliana Bakhtiari for comment. Bakhtiari’s aide, Nicholas Coppin, sent this email back.
The City of Atlanta should be held responsible for what happened to Taylor and the vulnerability of people living unsheltered.
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