Downtown Atlanta’s Peachtree-Pine shelter preps for closure in coming weeks

The end for a troubled Atlanta housing resource is nigh, but will it be humane?

The closure of the Peachtree-Pine homeless shelter at the northern edge of downtown has been years in the making. The facility, housed in a nearly century-old former car dealership, has developed a bad reputation over the years due to high rates of crime, drug usage, and even disease.

Last month, the closure of the facility was finally announced, leaving many to wonder what would happen to those who rely on the building for shelter.

Now, Atlanta magazine reports that caseworkers will soon be visiting the building on Peachtree Street to ensure that the nearly 500 residents will be taken care of once the doors lock for good.

You may assume that other organizations will need to boost resources to provide lodging for displaced Peachtree-Pine residents, but those who work with homeless populations are confident that residents can be absorbed into current support systems. (Experts say Atlanta’s general homeless population has decreased by 40 percent in six years, and they’re confident the problem can be totally eradicated, the magazine reports).

Jack Hardin, co-chairman of the Regional Commission on Homelessness, says preparations have been in the works since 2012 for the closure of the shelter, meaning that accommodation and assistance will be offered to those in need.

Officially, the shelter will close next month, though re-accommodation efforts may carry into September.

• What’s next for the homeless at Peachtree-Pine shelter? [Atlanta magazine]
• It’s official: Atlanta’s Peachtree-Pine shelter will close in August [Curbed Atlanta]