DeKalb CEO proposes 120-day delay before enforcing urban camping ordinance

DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson is proposing a 120-day preparation period before the county begins implementing its new urban camping ordinance.

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The proposal comes after the Board of Commissioners approved the ordinance in a 5-2 vote on Oct. 27.

The ordinance addresses behaviors affecting public safety, access to public spaces and obstruction of public infrastructure.

Cochran-Johnson says the county needs time to coordinate public safety agencies, outreach teams and service providers to make sure people experiencing homelessness have access to shelter, behavioral health services and housing assistance.

“Residents deserve safe, accessible public spaces,” Cochran-Johnson wrote in a letter to residents. “Equally important, individuals experiencing homelessness deserve compassion, opportunity, shelter, services, and pathways to stability.”

The CEO also emphasized that people will not be arrested simply because they are homeless.

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The county says its approach is guided by a joint policy statement approved by commissioners in January, which states that homelessness and poverty alone should not be treated as criminal conduct. Officers can still respond when criminal activity occurs or public safety is at risk.

The county also says it must comply with Georgia Senate Bill 62, which addresses enforcement of public camping, sleeping and sidewalk obstruction laws. The state law allows local governments to offer services and diversion programs instead of citations or arrests.

The county’s investments in homelessness services

The announcement comes as DeKalb highlights several investments in shelter and housing programs, including:

• A 400-bed emergency shelter offering meals, showers, overnight accommodations and support services.
• Park 500, an $8 million, 60-unit housing project for single mothers with children experiencing housing instability.
• A $1.7 million South DeKalb Day Center that has served 1,070 residents as of Aug. 31.
• Plans for a second $1.5 million day center in North DeKalb.
• A $155 million Housing Investment Bond Program approved in July to expand housing opportunities and preserve affordability.

The county says the bond program could generate more than $1.2 billion in public and private investment and help create or preserve more than 10,000 housing units.

Cochran-Johnson’s administration is also exploring ways to expand street outreach, case management and shelter operations, along with a proposed Safe Space DeKalb initiative that would provide secure overnight parking and services for people living in vehicles.

During the proposed 120-day preparation period, the county plans to work with commissioners, public safety agencies and service providers to coordinate how the ordinance will be implemented.

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