While we have made outstanding progress in ending chronic homelessness in metro Atlanta, there is still much work to be done. Here are statistics about the challenges, priorities, results and future plans of action we face in ending chronic homelessness in our community by 2013.
Challenges
- Chronically homeless people make up 5-20 percent of the population, but consume 50 percent of the available homeless resources.
- Due to additional costs, such as emergency room visits and incarceration, that are associated with being homeless, providing housing coupled with case management to the chronically homeless drastically reduces community cost by more than 60 percent.
- 20 percent of the homeless population is chronically homeless.
United Way priorities
- Providing housing connected to services for chronically homeless people.
- Reunifying homeless individuals with their loved ones.
- Improving the system for homeless women and children.
- Providing comprehensive intake and assessment through the 24/7 Gateway Homeless Services Center.
- Providing employment and other supportive services for chronically homeless individuals.
What we’re doing next
- Increase the total numbers of housing units connected to services by 200 this year, increasing our total to 2,200.
- Based on the initial success this year of the Street to Home program, we’ll expand the initiative to help an additional 350 chronically homeless people who remain on the streets and in shelters despite available services and housing.
- Reunify an additional 2,100 homeless consumers with family and friends.