VIA INVEST ATLANTA
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BUILDING HOPE
On Forsyth Street in South Downtown Atlanta stands an innovative community that is reshaping how the city is caring for its unhoused population.
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city-owned parking lot near the Garnett MARTA Station has been transformed into a supportive
The Invest Atlanta Board approved $75 million in revenue bonds for the Homeless Opportunity Project, which will be combined with an additional $10 million from the City of Atlanta’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Together, this funding represents the single largest investment to address homelessness and housing insecurity in Atlanta’s history. “This is not just about offering someone a roof over their heads for a night or two,” Mayor Andre Dickens said in September 2024 when the Homeless Opportunity Bond was first introduced. “It is about creating a pathway and building a foundation for a better life. We are not just building housing; we are building hope.” Since entering office in 2022, Mayor Dickens has worked closely with Atlanta City Council, Partners for HOME and local CoC providers to accelerate housing interventions across the full spectrum of housing insecurity. The City has moved with urgency to launch and fund programs to prevent displacement of low-income renters and tax-burdened senior homeowners, coordinate street outreach to rehouse residents living in encampments and ensure access to emergency shelters and supportive services.
housing development built specifically for Atlanta’s unhoused residents. The Melody, which is part of the city’s Rapid Housing Initiative, features 40 low-cost, quickly built micro units made from repurposed shipping containers. Each unit includes a bed, private bathroom and functional kitchenette. Partners for HOME, which coordinates Atlanta’s Continuum of Care (CoC), manages The Melody, while HOPE Atlanta provides wraparound services for residents that includes behavioral health support, food assistance, workforce development and case management. The Melody is the first of many more supportive housing developments to come thanks to a significant investment made by Mayor Andre Dickens and Invest Atlanta. The goal is to produce up to 700 new units of high-quality, deeply affordable housing, including 500 quick-delivery housing units on city-owned property, by the end of 2025.
Permanent supportive housing is a proven model that stabilizes lives and fosters self-sufficiency for individuals who are chronically homeless. With financing from $1 million in Housing Opportunity Bonds, Partners for HOME acquired a 24-unit development to provide permanent supportive housing in the Virginia Highland neighborhood. Located on Bonaventure, the building was originally built in 1930 and renovated in 2023 to preserve
its historic character and modernize its amenities.
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