ATLANTA — Atlanta City Council members passed a resolution Monday aimed at keeping travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport safe while supporting people who are experiencing homelessness.
The city council approved the measure last week to encourage the airport to take more of an active role in helping unhoused people there. The resolution asks the airport to expand restricted areas – giving only people with tickets to travel access.
Prior to Monday's meeting, Councilman Antonio Lewis told 11Alive's Karys Belger he was looking to find a solution that would serve travelers who make their way through the airport and the unhoused.
"Some of the things that we've done is looking at this world-renowned airport that we have and we're seeing folks sleeping in the airport, not leaving. We're trying to find out how can we help them in particular with this at the airport. And so we want to actually take the resources to the airport," he said.
Similar issues have come up in cities like Denver and San Diego. The latter recently held a meeting where residents voted against opening a shelter for the unhoused hear the airport in their neighborhood.
When asked about whether he would considers solutions from other cities, Lewis told 11Alive he did not see one that he felt would apply to the local population.
"Atlanta is going to do it. You may get it wrong at first, too. We might not get all this right. It might not be perfect upfront and it may, but it's going to look like us caring about people sleep at airport," Lewis said.
Nonprofits in the city are already stepping in to help those who are seeking refuge at the airport.
Marcy Louza works with the Sandwich Project which provides food to the city’s unhoused. She thinks the resolution is a starting point but not a long-term solution.
“This isn’t just a question or a problem at the airport. If we solve and resolve the issue at the airport people are just going to move other places," Louza said to 11Alive's Erica Murphy.
Santiago Marquez is with the Latin American Association.
He said many of the unhoused people seeking shelter there are migrants who’ve flown in from other countries seeking a better life.
“The city of Atlanta was calling us telling us that there were people at the airport that were stranded. They were coming Latin American countries, Spanish-speaking countries that were essentially homeless," said Marquez.
Airport officials say they’re aware of the growing issue and are open to all recommendations and help from organizations like Marquez’s.