Atlanta Housing Approves More Housing Subsidies to Reduce Homelessness

The Atlanta Housing Board of Commissioners has approved 224 units for homeless citizens so far

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Jun 19, 2020, 16:42 ET

ATLANTA, June 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Atlanta Housing Board of Commissioners voted to provide 39 additional HomeFlex subsidies for permanent supportive housing units for citizens who are currently experiencing or near homelessness. These subsidized units specifically will serve Atlanta Housing's Haven population, helping to reduce homelessness through HomeFirst, a public-private partnership developed in 2017 between the City of Atlanta, Invest Atlanta and the United Way Regional Commission on Homelessness.

HomeFirst's mission is to invest $50 million in support of ClearPath, the City of Atlanta's five-year plan to end chronic homelessness in Atlanta by creating 500-plus new units of permanent supportive housing. The AH board committed to provide HomeFlex subsidies for up to 550 units in support of the initiative, contingent on the units being placed in service by June 30, 2023. So far, the board has approved 224 of those 550 units.

"These HomeFlex subsidies will ensure that fewer families are homeless on the streets of Atlanta and get us closer to the goal of ending homelessness," said Atlanta Housing Commission Chairman Christopher Edwards, MD. "Atlanta Housing is delighted to partner with the City of Atlanta, Invest Atlanta and United Way to help ensure that we successfully tackle the crisis of homelessness in Atlanta. By working together, we will make this goal a reality."

The Board of Commissioners authorized 30 permanent supportive housing units at McAuley Park Phase I, less than a quarter mile from the King Memorial MARTA Station at 375 Gartrell Street. McAuley Park I, LLC is a joint venture formed by Saint Joseph's Health System/Mercy Care and Pennrose, LLC. The board approved nine additional units at Dwell at Alcove at 314 Dixie Hills Circle NW. The developer, Dwell Communities, currently has 10 single-family units in AH's Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) portfolio and operates four income-restricted properties within Atlanta. The HomeFlex commitments are for 10 years with an option to extend the subsidies an additional five years.

"We are extremely excited to continue our work with Atlanta Housing on this much needed affordable housing in this neighborhood," said Amon Martin, senior developer for Pennrose. "The transformative McAuley Park development will provide high-quality, mixed-income apartments and create access to health care for some of Atlanta's most vulnerable families and seniors."

"Each step forward in this project is a step closer to providing critical access to affordable housing within steps of one of our clinics providing everything from chronic disease management to dental, vision and mental health services on a sliding fee scale," said Tom Andrews, CEO of Saint Joseph's Health System and Mercy Care. "We are grateful for our partnership with Pennrose and all the City of Atlanta partners making this a dream come true for Mercy Care and the surrounding community."

About Atlanta Housing

Led by President and CEO Eugene Jones, Jr., the Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta, Georgia (AH), is the largest housing authority in Georgia and one of the largest in the nation. AH provides and facilitates affordable housing resources for nearly 25,000 low-income households comprised of approximately 50,000 people.

These affordable housing resources include AH-owned residential communities, AH-sponsored mixed-income, mixed-finance residential communities, tenant-based vouchers, project based rental assistance, supportive housing arrangements and homeownership opportunities. AH's programs are funded and regulated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD").

Visit Atlanta Housing at atlantahousing.org or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at @housingatlanta.

SOURCE Atlanta Housing