The Issue: At A Home for Everyone in DeKalb, we believe every person deserves dignity, safety, and a place to call home. That's why we are deeply concerned about efforts to increase enforcement of DeKalb County's urban camping ordinance, a policy that would rely on citations and arrests to move unhoused individuals out of public spaces.
The ordinance, which is scheduled for further discussion at the September 29 DeKalb Board of Commissioners business meeting, does not address the root causes of homelessness. Instead, it risks pushing already vulnerable neighbors further into crisis. Communities across the country have found that criminalizing homelessness does not reduce the number of people experiencing it. What it does is create additional barriers to housing, employment, and stability.
The reality is that many of our unhoused neighbors have few viable alternatives. Shelter options in DeKalb County are limited, access to basic necessities is inconsistent, and gaps in services remain, particularly during evenings and weekends. At the same time, DeKalb continues to face rising housing costs, limited affordable housing, insufficient mental health resources, transportation challenges, and a shortage of emergency housing options. These are the issues that must be addressed if we are serious about reducing homelessness.
Arrests and citations are not housing solutions. Instead, DeKalb should invest in proven strategies such as affordable housing, street outreach, diversion programs, emergency housing, mental health services, and coordinated implementation of the county's existing unhoused services plan. Our community needs more pathways to stability, not more penalties for people who have nowhere else to go.
We urge the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners to reconsider this approach and focus on practical, compassionate solutions that help people move from homelessness to housing. Public policy should reflect understanding, dignity, and evidence-based practices, not punishment.
This is a call to action for our community. Join us in advocating for solutions that address homelessness at its source and ensure that every person in DeKalb County has the opportunity to live safely and with dignity.
Please sign this petition and urge the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners to invest in solutions, not criminalization, for our unhoused neighbors.