HOPE Atlanta Field Report 3rd Edition: November 2023

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Dear friends,

In this season of gratitude, I want to express my heartfelt thanks. Firstly, to our veterans and their families, who deserve unwavering support on Veterans Day and beyond. Working with veteran clients is a source of pride as we strive to ensure our heroes have a place to call home.

October’s Heroes for HOPE event showcased the incredible generosity and camaraderie of our Board, corporate sponsors, and supporters in the Atlanta community. To our dedicated staff, volunteers, and advocates, thank you for your commitment.

The spirit of collaboration remains central to our mission to prevent and end homelessness. A special appreciation goes to our community partners, some of whom are featured in this quarter’s field report.

Inside, you’ll also find eye-opening data on homelessness, the broader economic trends at play, the human toll, and the high public cost. If you feel, as we do, that the inequities our neighbors are experiencing are unacceptable in a thriving community like Atlanta, we encourage you to join the conversation and get involved! Here is a link where you’ll find current opportunities and other resources.

Thanks for reading. Wishing you a warm and HOPEful holiday season,

Julio Carrillo
CEO, HOPE Atlanta

TL;DR

• Homelessness is on the rise in Atlanta, according to data from the latest Point-in-Time count. We’re seeing that economic factors like income inequality, inflation, and affordable housing shortages are largely to blame.
• Between the costs of public services, social services, hospitals, and jails, and the impacts on children’s education, homelessness comes at a high price tag for taxpayers. It would cost far less to house the estimated 10,689 people experiencing homelessness in Georgia than to continue addressing the “symptoms.”
• Veterans experience homelessness at higher rates than the general population and often face unique obstacles to stability. We broke down how we’re serving veterans and their families, including an ongoing partnership with Atlanta Legal Aid’s Veteran Law Project.
• Over 92% of all jobs today require digital skills, which one-third of workers do not have. To bridge the divide and empower clients to achieve self-sufficiency and upward mobility, we’re providing educational programs as wraparound services — including a new Digital Literacy program in partnership with TechBridge.