A question people often ask me when I tell them I live downtown is, “Aren’t there a lot of homeless people in Atlanta?”
When formulating an answer, I foremost establish that not all individuals who are homeless sleep on the streets. There are people who do not have a permanent address but have access to shelter and necessities. These are not the individuals who are referred to as “homeless people” around campus.
Unfortunately, there are a large amount of people living on the streets in Atlanta. Due to our downtown location, Georgia State students regularly intermingle with this population.
How to interact with the homeless around Georgia State is a popular conversation among our students and everyone has a different opinion. I urge you to form your own and guarantee that you will by the end of your first semester here.
The main concerns new students have in regards to the homeless people on campus are safety and panhandling. While they are both related, panhandling is not the only situation that may be uncomfortable. It is important to practice safety precautions in order to try and avoid these situations.
Safety tips for downtown living
- Have the Georgia State emergency number (404-413-3333) and Georgia State Police escort service number (404-413-3234) plugged into your phone for easy use.
- Familiarize yourself with the location of the emergency call boxes throughout the city.
- Use wisdom in uncomfortable situations and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
- Be alert in your travels and make mental notes of areas that you do not feel safe in. For future reference, look up alternative routes or only go there during the day.
- Make friends. There is safety in numbers and comfort in companionship.
Perceptually, of] the highest concentration of homeless people on campus is at Woodruff Park across from the Aderhold Learning Center. Although traveling through this park is unavoidable with a schedule at Georgia State, I would not worry that an uncomfortable situation might turn into a dangerous one during class hours.
I have walked through this park countless times during my years at Georgia State and have never been in a situation that felt threatening. Georgia State Police, students and faculty have a strong presence in Woodruff Park and throughout downtown in general. This presence has been of great comfort to me as I have noticed there is almost always at least one other Georgia State student in the same area. In light of the shooting that took place on Aug. 27, it seems as though the presence of Georgia State police around Woodruff Park has grown even more.
Due to the amount of homeless individuals on campus, students deal with panhandling often. When I first moved into University Housing as a freshman, I was in awe at the amount of times I was asked for money during the simple trip of going to buy textbooks just a couple of blocks away. Now, it seems as though I have become numb in those circumstances, as ruthless as that sounds.
I would advise you to use your best judgment when asked for help by the homeless. There are times when I have a little change and make the effort to give what I can, but every situation is different and so are the individuals who live on the streets.
There are ways you can help the homeless besides donating money. Respecting them as members of humanity is a good place to start. Volunteering with an organization that brings food to the homeless community is another available opportunity.
