The idea behind the Center for Diversion and Services in Downtown is simple. When police encounter someone who is homeless, struggling with addiction, or in a mental health crisis and facing a nonviolent misdemeanor, they bring that person somewhere that offers a shower, a meal, and a caseworker instead of a cell.
For some people it works exactly as promised. Atlanta Magazine tells the story of James Jones, who had been homeless for two years when an officer found him sheltering outside the library on Ponce de Leon Avenue the day after Thanksgiving 2025. Instead of arresting him for loitering, the officer offered a ride downtown. A caseworker found Jones a bed in a recovery house, helped him get his birth certificate, and got him on a housing waiting list. He has not slept on the street since.
The numbers are the problem. Since opening in January 2025, the center has facilitated a little over 2,000 diversions. It was projected to see 10,000 to 14,000 visitors a year. Atlanta Magazine points to underuse and disagreements over how the center delivers care as the main drags on its results.
Anyone who has walked Downtown or Midtown lately knows the need is not the issue. The question is whether the city can get officers, service providers, and the center on the same page before patience with the model runs out.
