As part of the HomeFirst partnership between the City of Atlanta acting through Invest Atlanta (IA) and the United Way Regional Commission on Homelessness (RCOH), a new permanent supportive housing pipeline has been created to add 1,000 new units of PSH to the current portfolio of housing interventions in the City. In February 2017, the City of Atlanta made a bold commitment of $25 million in City funds to match private contributions to the Home First initiative. Working together, IA and the RCOH invested $50 million in City and private funds, and seek to leverage $66 million in state and federal funds, to make homelessness in Atlanta rare, brief and nonrecurring.
Other key partners for the HomeFirst initiative include Partners for HOME, the Atlanta Continuum of Care and Atlanta Housing. Partners for HOME and the Atlanta Housing Authority will issue a rolling application related to projects for permanent supportive housing supportive. HomeFirst funding areas will include capital, operating and program services. The application was developed in conjunction with the Corporation for Supportive Housing; HUD; the Permanent Supportive Housing Pipeline Committee; and reviewed by the Allocation Committee. The application was released in 2018 and will remain open until funds are expended. The objectives of HomeFirst include:
- Permanent Supportive Housing
- Rapid Rehousing
- Continuum of Care Infrastructure: Coordinated Entry, and Outreach
- Housing Subsidy and Services
- Emergency low barrier shelter
- Evidence based pilots focused on youth, prevention, and diversion