5 Key Takeaways from HOPE Atlanta’s New Strategic Plan
With the annual estimated cost of homelessness for the City of Atlanta upward of $63 million and housing prices rising more than twice as fast as incomes, 2024 will be a year for bold action to address the homelessness crisis. At HOPE Atlanta, the Metro’s most established nonprofit dedicated to fighting homelessness, we have a plan.
Our new strategic plan was recently finalized after an intensive year-long process guided by a team of well-respected leaders, experts, and consultants. While we will continue to work 1–1 with clients to support them along their journey from homelessness or housing insecurity to self-sufficiency, our programs and processes will evolve to best meet the needs of our communities today.
Here are some changes to expect as we accelerate our mission to prevent and end homelessness by empowering clients to achieve self-sufficiency.
A Deeper, More Focused Approach
A person’s ZIP code is a greater determinant of a person’s health than their genetic code, and it’s also a strong predictor of educational attainment and wealth. To that end, HOPE Atlanta is adopting a deeper, more focused approach on a more limited number of geographical areas than we have previously served.
Emphasizing long-lasting results over outputs, we will build upon programs that have had the most impact on our clients experiencing homelessness, such as housing programs for veterans and persons who are HIV+ or living with AIDS.
Further Integrating Hunger and Housing Programs
After combining with Action Ministries in 2021, HOPE Atlanta expanded services to include hunger relief, adding widespread food box distribution and a Women’s Community Kitchen. To improve this service and track outcomes better, HOPE Atlanta will now focus our hunger operations on meeting the basic needs of clients in our housing programs.
Food boxes will be distributed to existing housing clients as a wraparound service to support them as they transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency. In the Women’s Community Kitchen, guests (many experiencing homelessness) will be assigned case managers to track goals and outcomes systematically; ultimately, the Kitchen will become an Outreach Center for those facing housing and food insecurity, welcoming all people struggling with homelessness, including men.
Meeting Mental and Behavioral Health Needs
Of the 6,628 people we served in FY23, 45% had a mental health disorder. Nearly 14% struggled with alcohol abuse and another 14% reported a drug use disorder. While mental and behavioral health issues are highly prevalent among those experiencing homelessness, care is challenging to access. In fact, among U.S. states, Georgia ranks dead last for access to mental health care.
While HOPE Atlanta has long referred clients to external providers, long backlogs can delay care and even access to housing since a mental health diagnosis can unlock access to housing services. Our new strategic plan involves building in-house mental health health care services to significantly reduce wait times for care and housing placement and improve client resiliency.
Forming Strategic Partnerships
We always say it takes a village to end homelessness and care for neighbors in need and that we are stronger together. To that end, HOPE Atlanta will formalize collaborative partnerships with other area nonprofits, developers, government agencies, and others. This will also allow us to add custom-designed programmatic services such as financial literacy and workforce development to pave the way to self-sufficiency for our clients.
Corporate and civic engagement also remains critical to success. Harnessing the skills and expertise of corporate volunteers and civic organizations, we will transform our volunteer engagement program from packing food boxes to leveraging partners’ unique skills to provide enrichment experiences, life skills workshops, and workforce development opportunities for clients.
Embracing Advocacy for Meaningful, Equitable Change
While our strategic plan calls for a focus on place-based transformation, our approach is also people-focused. We aim to transform not only communities but also lives. That starts with a deep understanding of our clients’ experiences and unique obstacles.
HOPE Atlanta will build upon our established Client Advisory Council of former clients and their families to help guide service enhancements. Members will also receive leadership and advocacy training to serve as a “voice” to Atlantans experiencing homelessness in the community. Staff will also receive special training on trauma-informed care, diversity, and inclusion.
Recognizing that, because of historical inequities and practices like redlining, Black people are more likely to experience homelessness, we will also embrace our role in advocating for racial justice. And because those who are well cared for take good care of others, we are implementing policies to provide staff members greater balance, competitive compensation, professional development opportunities, and time to focus on their physical and mental well-being.
Download HOPE Atlanta’s FY23-FY28 strategic plan report for more details on how our organization is evolving, how we’ll measure success, and who is at the helm. We look forward to sharing more updates throughout the year as our new strategic plan is put into action!
Established in 1900, HOPE Atlanta is Georgia’s longest-standing organization dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness. We work 1–1 with our clients to secure housing and other basic needs, with ongoing support to empower them on their journeys to self-sufficiency.
