Atlanta's chronic homelessness drops, but homeless families rise
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Chronic homelessness in Atlanta is down nearly 10%, but the number of families without stable housing has surged, according to a "point in time" count of the city's unsheltered population.
Why it matters: Increased investment in permanent housing for unsheltered people and stabilizing rents have contributed to the decline, said Partners for Home, the nonprofit managing Atlanta's strategy to reduce homelessness and the count's organizer.
Zoom in: Officials counted 2,894 people — up 1% from 2024 — during the annual count held in late January and February.
- Of the total, 1,061 were unsheltered, meaning they were sleeping under overpasses or in other places not meant for human habitation.
- Chronic homelessness — defined as people who have been living outside or in a shelter for the past 12 months or four or more times in past 12 months — is down 9%.
Yes, but: The number of families who are experiencing homelessness is up 14%. Most of those families were in emergency shelters, Partners for Home CEO Cathryn Vassell told the AJC.
- The proportion of unsheltered survivors of domestic violence has increased 17%.
What they're saying: Camps that once held dozens of unsheltered people now have only a few, Tracy Woodard, a program manager and outreach worker at Intown Cares, told Axios.
- More residents opt for permanent housing run by Gateway, SafeHouse and other organizations, she said.
Zoom out: The city has made permanent housing where people can find long-term shelter coupled with counseling and other services a key pillar of what officials call a $150 million effort to reduce homelessness.
- Examples include the Melody in South Downtown, Bonaventure in Virginia-Highland, and city-backed private developments like the Ralph David House, a former motel refurbished into 56 studio apartments, off Moreland Avenue.
How it works: Every year in January, service providers and volunteers fan out across the city to conduct the count, which is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Caveat: Officials stress that the count is a snapshot, not an official census, but say the data helps track who is and isn't receiving services.
- It can also overlook the living situations of the working poor who live in extended-stay motels, staying with family, or are couch surfing, Woodard said.