The Board of Commissioners voted 5-2 on Oct. 27 to approve the ordinance, which prohibits camping and certain related activities in public areas. Supporters say the measure is needed to improve public safety.

In a letter to residents, Cochran-Johnson said the ordinance should be carried out alongside outreach, shelter, behavioral health services and pathways to stable housing.

"We do not expect that the ordinance will result in more arrests. What we expect is that the ordinance will mandate consultation," Cochran-Johnson said.

Police Chief Greg Padrick said an arrest would be a last resort. Under the ordinance, a person must receive at least 24 hours' notice to leave an area before any arrest, and officers will be trained on the warning and service provisions, officials said.

Cochran-Johnson said the pressures driving visible homelessness reach beyond the county's borders.

"What we're seeing is a result of the lack of affordability, also an increase in the cost of housing," she said.

State Rep. Omari Crawford said the ordinance strikes a balance between public safety and individual safeguards.

"We believe DeKalb County has adopted an ordinance that addresses our public safety concerns while preserving law enforcement discretion, establishing safeguards," Crawford said.

But Commissioner Ted Terry, who voted against the measure, said he fears it could criminalize people experiencing homelessness. He argued that a 24-hour notice may be far too short for people who need more time to accept help.

"Oftentimes it takes people years and years to accept service," Terry said.

Terry also raised concerns about whether enough shelter beds exist, warning that people may have nowhere to go. He said he will monitor how the ordinance is carried out during the pause and argued the county should emphasize diversion over arrests.

He pointed to county figures showing that more than 700 people experiencing homelessness were arrested on private property last year and processed through the jail system, at a cost to taxpayers of more than $28 million.

"The bottom line is when you arrest someone and put them into the jail and justice system, it becomes much, much harder to rehabilitate them," Terry said.

The 120-day window is intended to give the county and nonprofit organizations time to prepare before enforcement begins. For residents and service providers, the coming months will test whether the ordinance delivers on its promise of connecting people to housing and care — or, as critics fear, pushes a vulnerable population further into the criminal justice system.