The Atlanta Rising campaign is changing lives, one home at a time. Through a citywide partnership led by Partners for HOME, the campaign is working to end unsheltered homelessness by creating stable housing and long-term support. A key piece of this effort, Downtown Rising, aims to house 400 individuals experiencing homelessness in the heart of the city by the end of 2025. Today, the campaign has already reached its halfway mark with 200 people now with a safe, stable place to call home.
One of those people is George, a lifelong Atlantan who spent more than two decades cycling in and out of homelessness. For years, George experienced homelessness on the streets of Atlanta. “I got lost in the world,” he said. “Once I figured out I was trying to get myself together, I asked myself — do you want to live on the concrete, or do you like where you are?”
After a spike in homelessness during the pandemic, Atlanta has reached a turning point. The city’s homeless population has plateaued, a hopeful sign that coordinated, data-driven action is working. As the lead agency for the Atlanta Continuum of Care, Partners for HOME and more than 170 partner organizations have spent years building a system that can respond quickly and effectively. Since 2017, evidence-based strategies like rapid rehousing, street outreach and diversion services have placed more than 15,000 individuals and families into homes, and 96% remain housed.
Hope Atlanta, one of the agencies within the city’s Continuum of Care, connected with George while he was on probation and introduced him to people who were ready to walk alongside him. With their support and the dedication of outreach workers like those found at Hope Atlanta, George not only found housing but also stability and hope. They encouraged him through the process and reminded him he wasn’t alone. After making the decision to rebuild his life, everything began to change. Three months later, he’s in his own home at Winnwood, one of Atlanta Rising’s newest supportive housing communities. There, George is taking baths, cooking meals and reconnecting with family.
“It’s a blessing to have this place,” he shared. “When I ride through the neighborhood, I think — that’s where I used to be. Not looking down on nobody, but seeing it with a sober mind is a different sight.”
The kind of home George has is exactly what Atlanta Rising is scaling across the city: permanent supportive housing, which pairs affordable units with wraparound services. Winnwood is the newest property to open its doors, expanding the network of homes available to Atlantans most in need. By the end of 2025, 500 new units of this kind of housing will be available for Atlantans most in need.
Today, George is focused on recovery and rebuilding relationships. “I’m seeing what I’m doing because I’m making progress,” he said. “My daughter told me, ‘Dad, you’ve been doing good for a long time.’ That keeps me going.” His progress mirrors the city’s: real, measurable and built on the belief that housing is the first step, not the last. The impact is especially visible downtown, where more than 200 Atlantans have been housed since July thanks to Downtown Rising.
George’s story is one of hundreds and a glimpse of what’s possible when a city comes together with compassion and purpose. As Atlanta Rising continues on track to reach their goal of housing 400 people like George through Downtown Rising by the end of 2025, and thousands more across the city, it’s proving that ending homelessness isn’t just a vision. It’s happening, right here in Atlanta.
Interested in helping end homelessness? Donate to support Atlanta Rising today.
Pictured above is a unit at Winnwood.
