Atlanta, GA

U.S. cities are using shipping containers to build gated micro-communities for homeless people

Published

2 years ago

June 14, 2024

U.S. cities are using shipping containers to build gated micro-communities for homeless people

In a dreary part of downtown Atlanta, shipping containers have been transformed into an oasis for dozens of previously unsheltered people who now proudly call a former parking lot home.

The gated micro community known as “The Melody” doesn’t look like a parking lot anymore. Artificial turf is spread across the asphalt. Potted plants and red Adirondack chairs abound. There’s even a dog park.

The shipping containers have been divided into 40 insulated studio apartments that include a single bed, HVAC unit, desk, microwave, small refrigerator, TV, sink and bathroom. On a recent afternoon, a half-dozen residents were chatting around a table in The Melody’s smoking area.

“I’m just so grateful,” said Cynthia Diamond, a 61-year-old former line cook who uses a wheelchair and used to be chronically homeless. “I have my own door key. I ain’t got to worry about nobody knocking on my door, telling me when to eat, sleep or do anything. I’m going to stay here as long as the Lord allows me to stay here.”

Faced with years of rising homelessness rates and failed solutions, city officials across the U.S. have been embracing rapid housing options emphasizing three factors: small, quick and cheap. Officials believe micro communities, unlike shelters, offer stability that, when combined with wraparound services, can more effectively put residents on the path to secure housing.

Denver has opened three micro communities and converted another five hotels for people who used to be homeless. In Austin, Texas, there are three villages of “tiny homes.” In Los Angeles, a 232-unit complex features two three-floor buildings of stacked shipping containers.

“Housing is a ladder. You start with the very first rung. Folks that are literally sleeping on the ground aren’t even on the first rung,” said Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, sitting in one of the city’s new micro communities that offer tiny, transitional homes for that first rung.

More than 1,500 people have been moved indoors through the program, with over 80% still in the housing as of last month, according to city data. The inexpensive units are particularly a boon for cities with high housing costs, where moving that many people directly into apartments wouldn’t be financially feasible.

Both Atlanta’s and Denver’s program act as a stepping stone as they work to get people jobs and more permanent housing, with Denver aiming to move people out within six months.

That includes Eric Martinez, 28, who has been in limbo between the street and the bottom rung for most of his life. At birth Martinez was flung into the revolving door of foster care, and he’s wrestled with substance use while surfing couches and pitching tents.

“It’s kind of demeaning, it makes me feel less of a person,” said Martinez, his eyes downcast. “I had to get out of it and look out for myself at that point: It’s fight or flight, and I flew.”

Martinez’s Denver tent encampment was swept and he along with the others were directed into the micro communities of small cabin-like structures with a twin bed, desk and closet. The city built three such communities with nearly 160 units total in about six months, at roughly $25,000 per unit, said Johnston. The 1,000 converted hotel units cost about $100,000 each.

On site at the micro community are bathrooms, showers, washing machines, small dog parks and kitchens, though the Salvation Army delivers meals.

The program represents an about-face from policies that for years focused on short-term group shelters and the ceaseless shuffle of encampments from one city block to the next. That system made it difficult to keep people who were scattered through the city connected to services and on the path to permanent housing.

Those services in Denver’s and Atlanta’s micro communities are largely centralized. They offer residents case management, counseling, mental health and substance abuse therapy, housing guidance and assistance obtaining anything from vocational skills training to a new pair of dentures.

“We’re able to meet every level of the hierarchy of needs — from security and shelter, all the way up to self-actualization and the sense of community,” said Peter Cumiskey, the Atlanta site clinician.

The Melody, and projects like it, are a “very promising, feasible and cost-effective way” to tackle homelessness, said Michael Rich, an Emory University political science professor who studies housing policy. Rich noted that transitional housing is still just the first step toward permanent housing.

The programs in Denver and Atlanta, taking inspiration from similar ones in cities like Columbia, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia, offer a degree of privacy and security not found in congregate shelters or encampments.

Giving each resident their own bathroom and kitchen is a crucial feature that helps set The Melody apart, said Cathryn Vassell, whose nonprofit, Partners For Home, oversees the micro community. Aside from a prohibition on overnight guests, staff emphasize the tenants are treated as independent residents.

Vassell acknowledged it’s unclear how long the containers will last — she’s hoping 20 years. But, she said, they were the right choice for The Melody because they were relatively inexpensive and already had handicap-accessible bathrooms since many were used by Georgia hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The project, which took only about four months to complete, cost about $125,000 per unit — not “tremendously inexpensive,” Vassell said, but less than traditional construction, and much quicker. Staffing and security operations cost about $900,000 a year.

The Melody is the first part of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ target of supplying 500 units of rapid housing on city-owned land by December 2025. A 2023 “point-in-time” count found there were 738 unsheltered people in Atlanta, far fewer than many cities, but still an increase over the previous year.

“We need more Melodies as fast as possible,” said Courtney English, the mayor’s chief policy officer.

Few objected when The Melody was announced last year, but as city officials seek to expand the rapid-housing footprint, they know local pushback is likely. That’s what Denver faced.

Mayor Johnston said he attended at least 60 town halls in six months as Denver tried to identify locations for the new communities and faced pushback from local residents worried about trash and safety.

“What they are worried about is their current experience of unsheltered homelessness,” Johnston said. “We had to get them to see not the world as it used to exist, but the world as it could exist, and now we have the proof points of what that could be.”

The scars of life on the street still stick with Martinez. All his belongings are prepped for a move at a moment’s notice, even though he feels secure in his tiny home alongside his cat, Appa.

The community has been “very uplifting and supporting,” he said, pausing. “You don’t get that a lot.”

On his wall is a calendar with a job orientation penciled in. The next step is working with staff to get a housing voucher for an apartment.

“I’m always looking down on myself for some reason,” he said. But “I feel like I’ve been doing a pretty good job. Everyone is pretty proud of me.”

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Atlanta, GA

Fire’s hot shooting leads to 102-92 win over Dream with Angel Reese injured

Published

6 hours ago

July 12, 2026

Press Room

Fire’s hot shooting leads to 102-92 win over Dream with Angel Reese injured

The Portland Fire capitalized on Atlanta’s cold shooting and defensive lapses Saturday night, defeating the Dream 102-92 and handing Atlanta its sixth loss in the past seven games.

The Dream played without All-Star forward Angel Reese, who was ruled out before tipoff with a right leg injury after turning her right ankle during Thursday’s win over the Seattle Storm. Reese had been listed as questionable entering the game before Atlanta announced she would not play. Rookie center Madina Okot made the start in her place and responded with a career-high 19 points.

All five Dream starters scored in double figures. Allisha Gray led Atlanta with 20 points, Naz Hillmon added 15, and Jordin Canada recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 assists. Canada now leads all WNBA guards in double-doubles this season. Rhyne Howard finished with 10 points and four steals.

The difference came from beyond the arc.

Atlanta shot just 23% from 3-point range, while Portland consistently punished defensive breakdowns, tying its season-high with 14 three-pointers on 29 attempts.

“We got good looks,” Hillmon said. “We just have to knock them down.”

COLLEGE PARK, GEORGIA – JULY 11: Megan Gustafson #17 of the Portland Fire shoots against Madina Okot #11 of the Atlanta Dream during the first quarter against the Portland Fire at Gateway Center Arena on July 11, 2026 in College Park, Georgia.

Colin Hubbard / Getty Images

The Dream trailed 51-44 at halftime after Portland exploited defensive miscommunication on pick-and-pop actions to create open looks. Atlanta cut the deficit to 88-81 midway through the fourth quarter, but Portland answered every push with back-to-back baskets to put the game away.

“Anytime we miscommunicated, anytime we over-helped, they found their open shooters or their rollers,” Hillmon said.

Head coach Karl Smesko said the Dream generated enough quality opportunities but couldn’t overcome their shooting struggles.

“We made defensive mistakes, they made us pay for them, and we couldn’t keep up with as well as they were shooting the ball,” Smesko said. “We had three or four miscommunications on some of those pick-and-pops. We had two people go with one, and they just have too many good shooters for that.”

Atlanta’s offensive process, Smesko said, wasn’t the problem.

“We’re winning possessions by a margin that you would probably win 95% of those games, but not if your effective field goal percentage is going to be what ours is,” he said.

The Fire won with a balanced scoring attack. Megan Gustafson led the team with 17 points, Serah Williams added 15 off the bench, Emily Engstler finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, Carla Leite had 13 points and 10 assists, and Bridget Carleton scored 12 points while knocking down four 3-pointers. Teja Oblak chipped in nine points, including several key baskets in the fourth quarter that helped put the game away.

Atlanta drops to 13-10 with the loss and will look to regroup in its next game against the Los Angeles Sparks before the All-Star break.

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Atlanta, GA

Man Blames Diet Drug After Gunning Down Police Officer and New Dad at Point Blank Range | Oxygen

Published

16 hours ago

July 11, 2026

Press Room

Man Blames Diet Drug After Gunning Down Police Officer and New Dad at Point Blank Range | Oxygen

Fulton County Police Officer Aaron Blount—a new father, fiancé and committed community volunteer—was nearing the end of his shift when he spotted a car driving erratically and decided to intervene.

How to Watch

Don’t miss new episodes of The Real Murders of Atlanta Saturdays at 8 p.m. on Oxygen. Catch up on the Oxygen App and Peacock.

Minutes later, the 26-year-old would be dead.

His tragic fate wouldn’t be discovered until just after 10 p.m. on April 22, 2003 when fellow Fulton County Police Officer Reginald McCain stumbled on an unsettling scene while patrolling his beat in Georgia’s South Fulton County.

“I’ll never forget what I saw that night and what I discovered when I approached that car,” McCain recalled in the season four premiere of Oxygen’s The Real Murders of Atlanta. “I saw a police car with the blue lights on in the distance. This car’s off the roadway into a brushy area near some railroad tracks.”

After discovering the car belonged to Blount—his adjacet beat partner and friend—McCain walked up to the vehicle and found the windows had been shot out and discovered Blount slumped over in the vehicle with his gun still clutched in his hand. The officer had been shot multiple times in the body and head.

In the days that would follow, investigators set out to recreate Blount’s final movements, ultimately leading them to a suspect with no prior criminal record who deployed an unconventional defense.

Who Was Aaron Blount?

Blount grew up less than a mile from where he died and was committed to giving back to his community, whether it was through his work as a police officer or coaching and mentoring younger kids on the basketball court.

“Aaron definitely was a community guy,” his fiancée Nicole Manns recalled, “and that was important to him to kind of give back to where he grew up.”

Blount—a one-time student at the Naval Academy—was also eager to make a difference in the life of his own 13-month-old son, A.J., whom he shared with Manns.

As she explained, “He was an amazing father.”

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What Happened to Aaron Blount?

On the evening of April 22, Manns was waiting for Blount to get off work.

“I knew he would be coming home soon and I called him and he said, ‘I’m on my way home,’” she recalled. “And he said, ‘Hey, this guy is driving crazy in front of me, I’m going to call you back.’”

It would be the last time she ever spoke with her fiancé.

Later that night, McCain made the grisly discovery along the roadway and called for backup. Former Fulton County Police Officer Charles Cook—the squad’s medic—was one of the first to arrive.

“Aaron was covered in blood on his head,” Cook recalled. “He had what appeared to be a bullet in the back of his shoulder and shirt. This is when I noticed Aaron had his gun out [and] had his finger on the trigger.”

Though he was rushed to Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital, Blount did not survive.

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“I just broke down and I started crying,” former Fulton County Police homicide detective Glenn Kalish remembered of hearing the news. “Not just for Aaron and the rest of the Fulton County Police Department, but I felt a lot of personal pressure on me being assigned this case and the weight of the case.”

Investigators Piece Together Final Moments of Aaron Blount’s Life

As detectives began to their investigation, they learned that there had been multiple 911 calls that night about a silver vehicle driving erratically not far from the murder scene.

They were also surprised to discover a handgun laying on the ground in the parking lot of a gas station, just across the road from where Blount’s vehicle had come to rest.

They came to believe that Blount had been following a car down the roadway when the driver hopped out at the gas station and waited for Blount to come around the corner, then fired directly into his vehicle, before setting the weapon down and fleeing the scene.

Injured, Blount likely took his foot off the brake, causing the patrol car to roll across Roosevelt Highway into the grassy area by the train tracks.

An eyewitness who had been driving by the gas station also came forward to share what he knew about the fatal shooting.

“We see the police got his lights on at the gas station,” the witness told police. “And as I was approaching the light, I heard a gunshot. And I saw a guy standing…at point blank range shooting through the window.”

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According to his account, the shooter then turned and calmly walked away before getting into a silver Ford Focus.

He described the shooter as a larger Black male, around 6’2” tall and around 250 pounds or more.

Though the medical examiner was able to connect the weapon found at the scene to the bullets in Blount’s patrol car and body, a second gun had been used to deliver the shots to his head, leading investigators to believe the cold-blooded killer had used two separate weapons.

Kenneth G. Reese Emerges As Suspect in Aaron Blount’s Death

Investigators caught another break in the case when they learned the weapon that had been recovered at the scene was registered to Kenneth Reese.

Though authorities initially believed the weapon was linked to a fire department captain and arson investigator with a stellar reputation—sending shockwaves through the law enforcement community—they learned after speaking with Kenneth that he had a younger nephew with the same name, who often went by the nickname “Little Kenny.”

Little Kenny had no criminal record, but did own at least one firearm. Even more telling, investigators were able to link him to a silver Ford Focus rental car. Yet, according to Little Kenny’s family, he had gone to Florida and now appeared to be on the run.

“He came from a good family,” former homicide detective Melvin Dean said. “A real solid family in the community.”

His 2nd Wife’s Murder Exposed the Truth Behind an Unsolved Double Homicide

Little Kenny’s grandmother was the first Black woman to own a gospel television network and his father was a professional wrestler turned celebrated minister. But when Little Kenny lost his father just one year before Blount’s death, those close to him say his life began to fall apart.

“His father’s death was such an impact on him,” a family spokesperson shared. “He was grieving so bad that he could not handle coming to his father’s funeral.”

According to the spokesperson, Little Kenny started carrying a gun and began showing signs of paranoia, believing that someone may be following him.

Who Killed Police Officer Aaron Blount?

Five days after Blount’s murder, Little Kenny was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals at a bus station in Miami and was charged with first-degree murder.

The district attorney announced that he was planning to seek the death penalty, but before the case could go to trial, his defense team came forward with evidence that he had been taking the diet drug ephedra—later banned by the FDA—which they argued had impaired his mental state.

After state psychiatrists also concluded that Little Kenny may have been suffering from drug-related psychosis at the time of the shooting, prosecutors decided to offer him a plea deal.

In exchange for removing the death penalty, Little Kenny agreed to plead guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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Blount’s family—including Manns and his now adult-son A.J.—continue to keep his memory alive.

“I want the people in Atlanta to remember that he protected his community. He protected his family,” Manns said. “He was just…a really good guy, a great dad, a great partner, a great friend, and I think they would be proud and should continue to be proud of him.”

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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Starting Lineup: July 2026 (NASCAR O’Reilly Series) – Racing News

Published

1 day ago

July 11, 2026

Press Room

Atlanta Starting Lineup: July 2026 (NASCAR O’Reilly Series) – Racing News

NASCAR O’Reilly Series qualifying results from EchoPark Speedway

Later today, NASCAR O’Reilly Series drivers take the green flag. Now, teams are rolling to the track for qualifying at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta.

View the Atlanta starting lineup for the NASCAR O’Reilly Series below.

Atlanta/Lime Rock Menu
ARCA: Race
Truck: Prac/Qual
O’Reilly: Qual

Atlanta/Lime Rock TV Schedule

The fields makes one lap in the opening round of qualifying. The top 10 from round one advance into round 2 and make another run for the pole position.

Atlanta Qualifying Results (Top 10 – Round 1) : 1. Carson Kvapil 31.987 2. Sam Mayer 32.035 3. Sammy Smith 32.117 4. Jesse Love 32.128 5. William Sawalich 32.171 6. Taylor Gray 32.218 7. Sheldon Creed 32.224 8. Rajah Caruth 32.238 9. Patrick Staropoli 32.224 10. Brent Crews 32.279

Sam Mayer will start from the pole position. He turned a laptime at 31.994 seconds in the second round of qualifying.