City of Atlanta, community partners to develop housing units to combat homelessness

The City of Atlanta and Atlanta Housing have announced a new partnership to develop 550 permanent housing units to help the city’s chronically homeless population.  The HUD-funded initiative, HomeFirst, is a collaboration that also involves Invest Atlanta, the United Way Regional Commission on Homelessness, and Partners for HOME, a public–private entity commissioned by the City to proactively manage the continuum of care for Atlanta’s homeless population.

“The fight to end homelessness cannot be won by any one organization or entity. We are committed to building sustainable public-private partnerships that can impact the lives of Atlantans across all sectors” said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “While the City has made good progress, continued investments in long-term developments are essential to ensure homelessness in Atlanta is brief and nonrecurring.”

The federally-funded HomeFirst initiative will be administered by Partners for HOME,  a public–private entity commissioned by the City to proactively manage the continuum of care for Atlanta’s homeless population.

The initiative builds on the $50 million investment unveiled in 2017 and focuses on assisting the chronically homeless through permanent placement and project-based rental subsidies. Additionally, the grant funds support services including behavioral health, skill development and social connectivity. The collaboration also involves Invest Atlanta and the United Way Regional Commission on Homelessness.

“This is the first braided investment of its kind. By blending the operations expertise of Atlanta Housing, services from the philanthropic community and the leadership of Mayor Bottoms, this innovative partnership will enable us to effectively address chronic homelessness in Atlanta,” said Cathryn Marchman, executive director of Partners for HOME.

Brandon Riddick-Seals, interim President and CEO of Atlanta Housing, praised Bottoms for making combatting homelessness a top priority.

“The incidence of homelessness in Atlanta is finally declining, and we are committed to continuing our efforts not only to get people off the streets, but to also provide the services they need to thrive,” said Riddick-Seals. “Mayor Bottoms is blazing trails with respect to promoting public-private collaborations to address this issue in our community, and Atlanta Housing is excited to partner in this initiative and support those with the most urgent needs.”

For eligibility standards and development requirements, please log on to the Partners for Home website, https://partnersforhome.org/pshpipline/. Contact Partners for HOME Executive Director Cathryn Marchman with questions.