Tens of Thousands Face Heat, Violence for Chance at Public Housing Waiting List

For days, Atlanta area residents desperate for public housing assistance gathered outdoors in a parking lot in the hope of being placed on a waiting list [Video].

1 minute read

August 12, 2010, 12:00 PM PDT

By Michael Dudley


Huffington Post reports that while the crowd was initially pegged at over a thousand, it was eventually "estimate[d] that a crowd of 30,000 turned [up]...outside a metro-Atlanta shopping mall in hopes of being placed on a waiting list for federal housing assistance. The large numbers indicate a huge demand, but there is literally no supply...Television station 11Alive reports that the line for Section 8 housing vouchers formed two days ago and grew into the hundreds Tuesday night. People even slept outside the nightclub despite repeated assertions from the housing officials that the line was unnecessary and everyone would receive an application.

Fights broke out, children were reportedly trampled, and police had to stop the crowd from storming a nightclub being used by the East Point Housing Authority in East Point, Ga, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution."

According to the article, "dozens and dozens" of people passed out from the heat.

Thursday, August 12, 2010 in The Huffington Post

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

November 11, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6, 2026 - Grist

People walking and cycling on a street in Boston.

Study reveals best places in the U.S. for cycling, walking

New research from Streetlight Data examines bicycle and pedestrian miles per capita in the 100 largest U.S. cities by population.

November 8, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

Mamdani speaks behind a podium in a navy suit.

DSA members accuse Mamdani of 'abandoning values' over housing redevelopment

New York City's mayor plans to replace about 2,000 units of public housing with private, mixed-income housing.

November 12 - Gothamist

Streetview of Colorado boulevard, a multi-lane road with trees on either side.

All sides of BRT debate unhappy with CDOT’s most recent move

The Colorado Department of Transportation is no longer considering center-running bus lanes for Colorado Boulevard.

November 12 - 9 News

Solar panels above a cranberry boy, with workers collecting berries.

Massachusetts bogs generate both power, and cranberries

Putting solar panels above farmland is one way Massachusetts is advancing toward its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

November 12 - Grist

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.