2017 count reports twelve percent decline in homelessness from year 2016 and a thirty percent decline since 2013
The City of Atlanta Continuum of Care (CoC) announced today its plans to conduct the 2018 annual Point-In-Time (PIT) Homeless Count over a one-week period with nocturnal counts on January 22-23, 2018 followed by diurnal counts on January 23-28, 2018. The Atlanta PIT Homeless Count helps to identify vulnerable groups by conducting surveys that collect demographic characteristics, homeless experiences and history, and other vital information.
The homeless count is crucial for meeting federal requirements to continue receiving funds for homeless services, attracting philanthropic investors and tracking the success of local efforts to end homelessness in Metro Atlanta. Its efforts will be targeted towards surveying unsheltered homeless individuals, providing demographic information, giving insight to their homeless history and assessing individual needs.
“I am encouraged knowing the major strides we have made to eradicate homelessness in the City of Atlanta,” said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “I applaud the hard work of Partners for HOME, the Atlanta Continuum of Care (CoC), and the three hundred volunteers who will contribute their time and effort to our annual Point-In-Time Homeless Count. We look forward to all we will accomplish with the results of the 2018 census.”
Since 2013, the CoC has seen a 75 percent decrease in the total number of chronically homeless individuals, a 61 percent decrease in unsheltered homeless individuals and in 2017, effectively ended veteran homelessness in Atlanta – becoming one of only two municipalities in Georgia to successfully rise to former President Obama’s challenge to do so.
“We are eager to begin the 2018 Point-In-Time count,” said Cathryn Marchman, Executive Director of Partners for HOME. “The work of Partners for HOME aligns with our city’s strong resolve to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring in Atlanta. We expect this year’s PIT Count data to confirm we are moving even closer towards this goal thanks to the outstanding collaborative efforts of our many providers, government partners and private sector stakeholders across the city.”
The annual data gathered in the Atlanta count helps the CoC identify gaps in services to individuals experiencing homelessness, implement strategic responses and seek additional public and private resources in addressing unmet needs in the City of Atlanta. The PIT Count is federally mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for all communities receiving federal funds through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants Program.
About Partners for HOME
Created by the City of Atlanta in 2013, Partners for HOME is creating a collective and clear path to making homelessness rare and brief. The organization pulls together nonprofit, government, and business leaders to zero in on a shared, consistent, and measured approach toward success.
About the Continuum of Care Mandate
The CoC Program is designed to assist individuals (including unaccompanied youth) and families experiencing homelessness and to provide the services needed to help such individuals move into permanent housing, with the goal of long-term stability. More broadly, the program is designed to promote community-wide planning and strategic use of resources to address homelessness; improve coordination and integration with mainstream resources and other programs targeted to people experiencing homelessness; improve data collection and performance measurement; and allow each community to tailor its program to the particular strengths and challenges within that community.
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