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Mayor Dickens Issues Executive Order to Begin Development of Quick-Delivery Housing for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness

Use of Publicly Owned Property Part of Administration’s Rapid Housing Initiative

ATLANTA—Mayor Andre Dickens issued an Executive Order launching the Administration’s new Rapid Housing initiative and directing the City’s Chief Financial Officer to allocate $4,000,000 to begin efforts to provide new quick-delivery housing to individuals experiencing homelessness. The funds would be allocated to the City’s Continuum of Care—Partners for HOME (PFH)—to execute phase one to acquire structures from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) to relocate and install new Rapid Housing units on City-owned property.

“Each and every Atlantan deserves a place to call home and our Administration understands the sense of urgency to stabilize individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our city,” said Mayor Dickens. “Any one of us are just one bad day away from finding ourselves needing a hand-up to get back on our feet. Working with our partners and City Council, and using a little innovation, we will swiftly deploy these resources to give folks the support they need and deserve.”

The initial Rapid Housing project will utilize shipping containers, many of which will be donate by GEMA, reducing the cost and time to deliver the units. The State has multiple temporary hospitals that were constructed by GEMA during the height of COVID. These hospitals are being decommissioned and the State is working with the City to donate some of these facilities to be converted into housing.

The initiative envisions harnessing the full potential of shipping containers for quick-delivery housing to ensure top-notch quality and craftsmanship for all its residents. These containers will serve as a cost-effective and innovative housing option and set a new architectural standard for future groundbreaking projects.

The Administration has identified 184 Forsyth St. in downtown Atlanta to locate the first phase. The property is located near the Garnett MARTA station and near key amenities and supportive services. Individuals participating in the program will receive wraparound assistance to obtain identification documents, connect with supportive services like mental health and substance abuse treatment if needed, access educational and employment opportunities and receive navigation to permanent housing.

The use of shipping containers for Rapid Housing units will allow for quick construction and flexibility to relocate the units to another site in the future. The long-term goal for the City’s 184 Forsyth St property is to develop permanent mixed-income housing. Deploying Rapid Housing units at the property allows the Administration to address the pressing need for housing for residents experiencing homelessness, while preserving the opportunity to fully redevelop the site in the future. The implementation team will begin community engagement soon about the planned project.

Mayor Dickens will work with the Atlanta City Council to ratify the Order and related agreements to allocate the funds to PFH.

You can find a copy of the Executive Order here.

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