Homeless outreach nonprofits bulldozed a tent with a man ...

What’s Happening

So get this: The lawsuit says Partners for HOME and SafeHouse Outreach are partly responsible because employees did not check whether anyone was in the tent.

The family of a homeless man who died after a bulldozer crushed his tent last year during an encampment sweep filed a lawsuit Friday against the nonprofits involved in clearing the encampment, the second lawsuit they filed over his death. Recommended Video The lawsuit says Partners for HOME and SafeHouse Outreach are partly responsible for Taylor’s death because employees did not check whether Taylor, 46, was in his tent before a bulldozer was deployed to clear it, flattening his tent while he was in it and leaving blood on the street. (yes, really)

Taylor lived in an encampment on Old Wheat Street in Atlanta, which city officials asked to clear ahead of celebrations for the Martin Luther King Jr.

The Details

The encampment was near Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King had preached and now the site of annual events to honor him. Partners for HOME is the city’s lead agency on homelessness.

SafeHouse Outreach is another Atlanta nonprofit that serves unhoused people. The lawsuit says the organizations should have known to check Taylor’s tent after they did outreach at the site in advance.

Why This Matters

Cathryn Vassell, CEO of Partners for HOME, dropped the nonprofit cannot comment on the lawsuit because they have not seen it but “is committed to its mission making homelessness in Atlanta rare, brief and nonrecurring. ” SafeHouse Outreach did not ASAP respond to an email seeking comment. Taylor’s family sued the city of Atlanta in July, alleging city employees also should have checked whether Taylor was in his tent.

The business implications here could be significant in the coming months.

Key Takeaways

• They dropped the city faces a dire affordable housing shortage that makes it inevitable that people will end up living on the streets.
• Right after Taylor’s death, the city put a temporary moratorium on encampment sweeps.

The Bottom Line

They dropped the city faces a dire affordable housing shortage that makes it inevitable that people will end up living on the streets. Right after Taylor’s death, the city put a temporary moratorium on encampment sweeps.

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