LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — The city of Lawrenceville has opened the F.I.R.S.T. Housing Center, a unique project aimed at providing shelter and support for homeless men.
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The center, developed by the nonprofit Impact46, transforms a 70-year-old city-owned building into eight private apartments. It offers temporary housing and support services to help residents transition back into society.
“It’s been a long time of just watching it transform,” said Jen Young, executive director of Impact46.
“There are folks in our community that need a place to rest their head,” said city manager Chuck Warbington. “We can bring wraparound services and then get them back into society in a productive way.”
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The F.I.R.S.T. Housing Center is the first of its kind in Georgia, providing single homeless men with a safe place to stay. Residents can stay for up to 89 days while receiving counseling and job training.
Lawrenceville police identify men in need and bring them to the center, where they meet with clinicians and case managers. The goal is to create success stories by helping these men reintegrate into society.
Mayor David Still emphasized the community impact, stating, “This gives them a safe place to live and then it makes our community feel that everybody’s taken care of.”
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Federal and county grants funded the $750,000 renovation of the building. The initiative aims to fill a gap in services for homeless men, who often have limited options beyond park benches and woods.
“For a person who doesn’t have an option for a place to stay, jail should not be their only option,” Young told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson.
The goal is to start housing residents by Nov. 1, with the hope of creating success stories for those who have been living without stable housing.