Homeless in 2008
Mayors estimates that about 22% of the homeless population suffers
from a severe mental illness.10
Domestic violence plays a significant role in homelessness among women and
children. In a 1998 study of homeless parents in ten U.S cities (most of whom were
women), 22% said that they had left their last place of residence because of domestic
violence.11
Past experiences and behaviors can also create significant barriers for individuals and
families who are trying to escape homelessness. Being homeless can lead to arrests
for behaviors such as trespassing and loitering. Criminal offenses such as these, and
certainly more serious convictions, can make it difficult to pass a required background
check when trying to rent permanent housing. Additionally, certain felony convictions
make it difficult to obtain a bed in an emergency shelter. Likewise, prior evictions and
poor credit can make it difficult to rent decent affordable housing.
Over 725,000 Georgians live in low
income households paying more than
50% of gross income for housing.
Larry Keating. Housing Needs in Georgia: How
Many and Who? December 21, 2004
2007 Poverty Guidelines
Family Size Poverty
1 ,210
2 ,690
3 ,170
4 ,650
5 ,130
6 ,610
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/07poverty.shtml
From July 1, 2007 to May 31, 2008
10,614 homeless adults and children
received services from the Georgia’s
Department of Human Resources for
mental health or substance abuse.
If just 11% of the homeless in GA
received full SSI benefits they are
eligible for, the total ANNUAL amount
of federal dollars coming to these
households would be approximately
,412,963.
What is Georgia doing to help people who are homeless?
Statewide Initiatives
The State of Georgia and many of its communities have been actively working to
address the issue of homelessness for over 20 years. With the creation of the State
Housing Trust Fund for the Homeless in 1988, the State dedicated funding for helping
individuals and families end their homelessness. Today the State Housing Trust Fund
provides funding to over 200 grantees across the state to implement a variety of
strategies intended to address homelessness. The funding is a combination of State
and Federal dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
These strategies include homeless prevention, emergency shelter, transitional housing,
supportive services, and permanent supportive housing. They also provide funding for
communities to hold resource fairs and participate in the homeless count.
The Housing Trust Fund provides rental assistance funding for over 1,200 units of
housing for individuals and families with disabilities. In addition, the Permanent
Supportive Housing Program at DCA provides funding for the development of new
supportive housing units. State and Federal funding enables local services providers to
provide support for residents.
The Department of Human Resources (DHR) has a number of programs that assist
individuals and families that experience homelessness, including funding for domestic
violence services through the Family Violence Unit, homeless outreach through the
Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program, and expedited
access to Social Security Disability Benefits through the SSI/SSDI Homeless Outreach
Access and Recovery (SOAR) initiative. The SOAR initiative works closely with the
Department of Labor and the Disability Adjudication staff to improve the social security
application process for individuals who are homeless.
The Department of Education, through the McKinney-Vento homeless liaisons in each
school district, provides services for children who are experiencing homelessness.
Services are provided to prevent children from falling behind in school because of
homelessness. The Department of Community Health, through the Healthcare for the
Homeless Program, provides funding to provide primary health care for individuals and
families who are homeless.
There are also several state initiatives to address the needs of individuals being
released from state prison. One of these initiatives is the Re-entry Partnership between
the State Board of Pardons and Parole, Department of Corrections, Criminal Justice
Coordinating Council, and the Department of Community Affairs. The Department of
Corrections also has a Faith and Character Based Re-entry