A group of homeless people calling themselves the ATL Homeless Union set up an encampment on the lawn of City Hall over the weekend to demand better housing and healthcare rather than what they call “band-aid solutions.” Atlanta Police made six arrests on Monday after members of the union set up tents outside city hall. On Tuesday, supporters marched from city hall through Downtown to bring awareness to the demands of the union. At Tuesday’s Atlanta City Council meeting, there were dozens of messages left during public comment criticizing the city and the Atlanta Police Department for the arrests. Social media footage showed officers dragging union members out of the tents at city hall.
Hurricane Elsa is edging closer to the Georgia, prompting Gov. Brian Kemp to issue state of emergency affecting 92 counties in middle, south, and southeast parts of the state in preparation for the storm. Elsa is nearing landfall near Tampa, Florida but is expected to cross into Georgia late Wednesday and skirt up the Georgia coast. As for Intown, expect rain and possible thunderstorms for the next few days.
City of Refuge, a nonprofit based on Atlanta’s Westside in the city’s 30314 neighborhood, has been awarded a $5.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to invest in technology career pathways. The 24-year-old organization is using the funding to launch the Tech Transformation Academy (T2 Academy), a technology-focused program offering training in web development and cybersecurity through a partnership with Atlanta-based DigitalCrafts and the Carolina Cyber Center of Montreat College. Over the next four years, City of Refuge plans to recruit and train 280 individuals from minority, unemployed or underemployed demographics across the region.
