Mayor Dickens called for city council “to conduct a complete review of encampment closures, rehousing, and how we care for the unsheltered,” and he also called for a moratorium on all homeless encampment sweeps while the city figures out a plan.

ATLANTA, GA — The Atlanta city council easily approved a moratorium on the use of heavy equipment to clear homeless encampments on Monday. The vote comes at the urging of Mayor Andre Dickens.

Atlanta leaders are reconsidering how they dismantle homeless camps. That comes after a man in a tent was killed as a city crew's bulldozer destroyed the encampment.

The Atlanta City Council voted to change the way it clears homeless camps after the funeral of a homeless man who was killed by a heavy piece of equipment that was clearing an encampment.

On Monday, the Atlanta City Council made notable changes to how the city approaches homelessness and specifically how it conducts encampment clearings.

The Atlanta City Council approved legislation at its Feb. 3 meeting to create a homelessness task force and to pause the use of heavy machinery during sweeps of encampments. The measures come in the wake of the Jan.

Council voted hours after the family of Cornelius Taylor chanted for change outside City Hall. It's now up to Mayor Andre Dickens to sign or veto the legislation.