What is the deal with this building on Northside Dr? (Atlanta: homes, neighborhood)

[Tryska]

Do any of y'all know why it is so raggedy with homeless people always camped out in front?

It's Northside just North of 10th (North of the Tenside complex you see in the pic).

I have been traveling that stretch of Northside for the last 10 years - and I've only just seen the "homeless encampment" there lately. Is there a shelter nearby or something? Why that spot? I've asked everyone I know, but no one seems to know.

[netdragon]

It just hasn't been redeveloped yet... That happens. There's plenty more around there where that came from and there used to be a lot more.

[Tryska]

I don't know that it's that exactly....it wasn't that bad (on the Midtown side) before development, and these are shopping cart-type homeless. And there's like 2 or3 of them that are always kind of lingering on the sidewalk in front of this building. Apparently not on the day Google drove by judging from the pic...so it has to be recent. I'm not in any way resentful of them being there. (although I'm sure it doesn't help Tenside's development any). Just wondering why they are there and why now.

[netdragon]

There used to be housing projects around there up near the English Avenue neighborhood. They probably haven't travelled very far from their source after they were torn down.

[Mal93]

This is really recent as in maybe 3-4 mos... I doubt it's related to the housing projects removal. I just started seeing 10-15 people living under makeshift shelters cobbled together from office furniture & tarps. Reminds me of the encampment under the bridge near the carriage horses on Murphy until the fence went up. All adults it looks like. They do not attempt to solicit cars passing by (although that territory is already well claimed by a couple guys). Because it's groups of women & men and they have set up so much "stuff" it reminds me of the cemetery slums you see in Haiti. Next time I go that way I'll see if I can find out from one of the residents what's going on & direct them toward one of the nearby missions.

[netdragon]

What you need is play a song "California... is good to the homeless" and start driving towards California. Maybe they'll follow you. I'd share the link to the South Park video I'm referring to, but it's copyrighted so not gonna do that. I imagine you can find it on youtube.

[Tryska]

Originally Posted by Mal93

This is really recent as in maybe 3-4 mos... I doubt it's related to the housing projects removal. I just started seeing 10-15 people living under makeshift shelters cobbled together from office furniture & tarps. Reminds me of the encampment under the bridge near the carriage horses on Murphy until the fence went up. All adults it looks like. They do not attempt to solicit cars passing by (although that territory is already well claimed by a couple guys). Because it's groups of women & men and they have set up so much "stuff" it reminds me of the cemetery slums you see in Haiti. Next time I go that way I'll see if I can find out from one of the residents what's going on & direct them toward one of the nearby missions.

Thank you for confirming this little oddity is new. And I'm surprised it's just so front and center there, and apparently the cops don't bother them. Definitely report back if you hear any further info. I too agree it's not necessarily the projects. Simply because that's a long way to drift, and a couple of different worlds to traverse, when you are on foot.

[Nast]

Three to four months back would coincide with the time when they rousted all of the makeshift camps from under the Connector ramps downtown. All of those people had to wind up somewhere new.

[oldschoolChevy]

Originally Posted by netdragon

There used to be housing projects around there up near the English Avenue neighborhood. They probably haven't travelled very far from their source after they were torn down.

Stay in Smyrna bro. Your speculations about what goes on in the A are off once again. There is a homeless women's shelter on Howell Mill about a block south of the Humane Society. The Salvation Army center on Marietta by Tech also has a lot of transitional type folks that are housed there. Both have been there for as long as I can remember. Most of the homeless looking people you see on Northside Dr more than likely come from those areas. And I volunteer at the Salvation Army Center in the winter and I also go to the daily auctions up there quite a lot of most of those guys are not even from anywhere near Atlanta. 9 out of 10 of them are dudes from small country towns that moved up here and just fell on hard times or they had drug issues and moved here to literally be closer to their habit.

[oldschoolChevy]

Originally Posted by Tryska

Thank you for confirming this little oddity is new. And I'm surprised it's just so front and center there, and apparently the cops don't bother them. Definitely report back if you hear any further info. I too agree it's not necessarily the projects. Simply because that's a long way to drift, and a couple of different worlds to traverse, when you are on foot.

It has nothing to do with the projects. I used to ride the #37 MARTA bus that goes thru that area as a kid at least 3-4 times a week back when the projects were still up and there were always homeless women with kids getting on and off the bus in that area even back then going to the shelters over there. If you want to see people from the old Techwood and Herndon Homes housing projects just go to a Hawks or Falcons game. 90% of the guys you see out there scalping tickets are from the old Techwood or Herndon Homes. I have no idea why but dudes from those old downtown/near westside projects just have a monopoly on the ticket scalping hustle and despite where they now live they always come back downtown when there is a big event to scalp tickets.