COBB COUNTY, Ga. — More than 2,500 students in Cobb County are experiencing homelessness.
That’s according to the non-profit Center for Family Resources.
Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell spoke to members of the organization to learn more.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
According to the Center for Family Resources, about half of the homeless students in Cobb County are living in hotels or extended stays.
Newell learned that less than 10% of families who qualify for assistance with finding a home or staying in one are getting the help they need.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Metro Atlanta woman accused of biting child’s face, beating them
- Metro Atlanta city lowers speed limits in 3 areas as part of citywide safety plan
- Metro Atlanta park to receive $200,000 for new public restroom, bridge work
“We get a lot of families who get stuck in motels,” Melanie Kagan, CEO for the Center for Family Resources, said. “The rent increase comes and they think they can just leave and find something else, but they can’t.”
Kagan said it’s because there isn’t enough housing in Cobb County.
“Our occupancy is lower than the national average,” Kagan told Channel 2 Action News.
Data from the Cobb homeless Alliance 2025 Impact Report, which was recently released, there were 87,000 households in Cobb County that qualify for assistance.
Only 8% of them are served, the report said.
“Cobb unfortunately for being an affluent county actually has one of the highest homeless populations among our students in the metro area,” Kagan said.
The Center for Family Resources is one of four agencies in Cobb that use $2.9 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development each year to address homelessness.
Kagan said that while helping students and seniors is a top priority, there’s a need for more resources.
“We serve everybody who is in need of food through the pantry,” Kagan said. “The state has an application right now called Georgia Rehoused through the Department of Community Affairs. We are attempting to seek funds through that.”
The Center for Family Resources says they’re working with the Marietta Housing Authority to help seniors find homes and a business owner is working on a transitional housing community for students, but it needs more funding.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
