DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond announced the launch of a $13 million program to reduce homelessness in the county and prevent evictions.
The program is aimed at providing DeKalb County residents with housing stability through the DeKalb County Integrated Community Care Initiative.
“By providing housing for the homeless and rental assistance for the housing insecure, this program’s two-pronged approach continues DeKalb’s commitment to counter the housing affordability crisis in our county,” Thurmond said. “DeKalb County is investing millions to get and keep families in affordable homes.”
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The county said the initiative would provide funding to nine nonprofit organizations that provide housing for homeless persons as well as rent and utility assistance for residents facing eviction.
Funding for the program comes from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
“This public-private initiative focuses on stabilizing our fellow DeKalb residents by partnering with nine nonprofit organizations that are already compassionately committed to providing housing assistance and wrap-around services,” Allen Mitchell, director of the DeKalb County Community Development Department said.
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To qualify for assistance, households must meet the following requirements:
- Financial hardship: One or more individuals within the household must have qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in household income, incurred significant costs, or experienced other financial hardship during or due to the pandemic. Priority is given to households with one or more members who have been unemployed for at least 90 days.
- Homelessness or risk of homelessness or housing instability: The household must demonstrate homelessness or a risk of homelessness or housing instability. This can include:
- Past due utility, rent notice, or eviction notice.
- Unsafe or unhealthy living conditions, such as overcrowding.
- Any other evidence of risk, as determined by DeKalb County.
- Income requirements: The household must be a low-income family, as defined by the HUD income limits for 2024. Priority is given to households with less than 50% of the area median income.
County officials said priority would be given to households with one or more members who had been unemployed for at least 90 days.
These are the organizations providing assistance for rent, utilities and to deal with housing instability or unhealthy living conditions:
- New Life Community Ministries, $2.8 million
- Urban League of Greater Atlanta, $2.8 million
- Latin American Association, $2.3 million
- New American Pathways, $1 million
- Jewish Family Career Services of Atlanta, $1 million
- Africa’s Children Fund, $1 million
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul, $1 million
These organizations are providing housing stability services and legal services related to eviction:
- Atlanta Legal Aid Society, $600,000
- DeKalb Pro Bono, $200,000
In order to apply for assistance, contact the DeKalb Integrated Community Care Initiative hotline at 404-371-NEED (6333).
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