ATLANTA — There is a renewed effort to end homelessness in the city of Atlanta.
The city plans to pump $25 million in federal and state funds to get people into housing.
Channel 2′s Justin Carter learned that a large chunk of that money will help the city lease out properties, or hotels as they work to transition people into a permanent living space.
The idea is to get people currently living in tents off the street.
“We have $25 million in new money towards solving homelessness in Atlanta,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said.
But he says the money won’t solve everything.
Dickens announced Thursday the city is teaming up with the nonprofit Partners for Home to get at least 1,500 people off the street and into permanent housing over the next year.
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Partners for Home CEO Cathryn Vassell said it’s not going to be easy.
“We are currently struggling currently to find landlords and units that will partner with us that will take vouchers and subsidies, Vassell said.
She told Carter that a recent 30% spike in rent costs in Atlanta is mostly to blame, along with investors swooping in and buying up properties in the city.
“We really need a place to get them off the street immediately to a temporary place where they are willing to go, where it’s dignified, where it’s safe, where they can close the door and lock,” Vassell said.
Right now, the city said they are focused on an eight-year goal to get 20,000 housing units up and ready to go.
Markell Shumate told Carter he certainly would jump at the opportunity. He’s been homeless for two years.
“It’s better for a lot of folks to get off the streets than to be in the streets,” Shumate said.
Just over $12 million will come from money from the city’s share of the American Rescue Plan.
A portion of that will have to make its way through the Atlanta City Council for approval.
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