Mayor Andre Dickens, Atlanta City Council Propose $60 Million in Funding to Address Homelessness, Largest in Atlanta History

Mayor Andre Dickens unveiled plans for a $50 million Homeless Opportunity Bond. An ordinance that would formally authorize the bond was introduced by Atlanta City Council on the same day, along with accompanying legislation to devote $10 million from the City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund over six years. Once approved, the new funding would represent the single largest investment in addressing homelessness in Atlanta’s history. The $60 million in bond proceeds and Trust Fund dollars would be coupled with new public and private investments to support unhoused residents are expected to total more than $120 million. “This is not just about offering someone a roof over their heads for a night or two.

It is about creating a pathway and building a foundation for a better life,” said Mayor Dickens. “Thank you to City Council in advance for their collaboration on the legislation, to The Community Foundation for the first major commitment to this cause and everyone else who is pitching in on the group project—because they realize we are not just building housing; we are building hope. ” Together, this historic investment is expected to produce up to 700 new units of high-quality, deeply affordable housing. This includes 500 quick-delivery housing units to be delivered by the end of 2025 and paired with on-site wraparound services through the Mayor’s Rapid Housing Initiative, which utilizes City-owned land and modular building technologies to accelerate the production of high-quality supportive housing. Funding is also expected to significantly grow the City’s existing permanent supportive housing (PSH) pipeline, supporting up to 200 such units in newly built or renovated apartment buildings throughout Atlanta.

The announcement comes as communities across the country grapple with increasing rates of homelessness since the onset of the pandemic. Partners for HOME, which coordinates Atlanta’s Continuum of Care (CoC), found in its 2024 Point-in-Time Count that while the total number of individuals experiencing homelessness in Atlanta remained 30% below 2016 levels, the city’s unsheltered population increased 63% since the pandemic, from 640 in 2022 to 1,040 in 2024. “Housing is a cornerstone of neighborhood infrastructure – just like our streets, sidewalks, transit, and parks,” said District 1 Councilmember Jason Winston. “Investing in safe, stable, affordable housing for our unhoused residents, like the 40 units of supportive housing just down the street at The Melody, is an investment in a vibrant future for Downtown Atlanta.