LISTEN: Leaders of Atlanta's affordable housing organizations joined Mayor Andre Dickens Tuesday to announce the city will dedicate $60 million dollars towards addressing and helping Atlanta’s growing homeless population. GPB's Amanda Andrews has more.

Mayor Andre Dickens speaks at an event in Woodruff Park in September 2024

Mayor Andre Dickens speaks at an event in Woodruff Park on Sept. 3, 2024, to announce $60 million in public funds for affordable housing.

Credit: Josh Spruiel / City of Atlanta

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced Tuesday the city will be dedicating $60 million towards addressing and helping Atlanta’s growing homeless population.

The first 50 million in funding comes from Atlanta’s Homeless Opportunity Bond with 10 million more coming from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The money will be used to create 700 units of long-term affordable housing with on-site supportive services like healthcare and workforce training.

This project is part of a larger promise by Mayor Andre Dickens to provide 20,000 units of affordable housing. He said this project will provide housing and hope.

“This is not just about offering someone a roof over their heads for a night or two — it is about creating a pathway and building a foundation for a better life,” Dickens said.

The Mayor’s Rapid Housing Initiative will use land owned by the city and prefabricated modular buildings to complete the project on a shorter timeline. The first 500 units are expected to be available by the end of 2025.

Housing Nonprofit Partners for HOME said the Atlanta unsheltered population has grown by more than 60% since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, making these resources critical.

The Community Foundation for a Greater Atlanta was able to provide $10 million in private funding to support the city’s affordable housing project.

Housing Funds Director Sarah Kirsch said private funds are available faster than public funds, so the city can start acquiring housing sooner.

“You got to put the order in the factory, which means essentially putting a down payment on those homes," Kirsch said. “So our funds will be used for that as well, to get things moving literally in the next 30 days.”

The city will continue to solicit funding from private organizations which are expected to bring the total funding to $150 million.