One major American city has significantly reduced chronic homelessness over the last year, even as federal policy changes make the homeless service landscape less predictable.

Atlanta reduced its chronic homeless population by 9% year over year through a more than $212 million initiative called Atlanta Rising. The initiative is a citywide effort that combines the efforts of 170 organizations across the state’s Continuum of Care to provide permanent housing options using a Housing First delivery model.

According to Atlanta Rising’s data, about 74 people who were chronically homeless received housing through the program. What makes this number significant is that the chronically homeless often have the greatest behavioral, mental, and physical health needs. So, the reduction in chronic homelessness indicates the effectiveness of the support offered through Atlanta Rising.

Overall, 96% of the people who have been housed through Atlanta Rising are still in homes today, Vassell said, explaining how Atlanta reduced chronic homelessness.

“Through our experience, it’s become clear that when you invest in housing and align your system around evidence-based practice, you can move the needle,” Cathryn Vassell, CEO of Partners for HOME, which leads the Atlanta Rising campaign, told Invisible People in an emailed statement.

How Atlanta Reduced Chronic Homelessness: A Citywide Investment Built on Housing First

The Atlanta Rising campaign includes four main investment areas. One is a $10 homelessness prevention and diversion program that provides rental assistance, legal support, and other preventative services. The goal is to prevent about 1,600 families from becoming homeless over the next two years.

Another $190 million was invested in housing and holistic programmatic services. That includes building 500 new rapid rehousing units, more than 100 housing units with specialized medical and mental health care, and providing at least 5 years of standard supportive services at each property. These investments will help Atlanta increase its capacity to move people from shelters to permanent housing as needed.

The campaign also includes a $7 million investment in downtown safety operations. That money was spent on creating a dedicated hub for centralized services, hiring full-time outreach workers, and closing encampments. Atlanta Rising has said these efforts will help keep downtown livable and make the city ready to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Vassell has described Atlanta’s strategy as “aggressive” while also pairing “urgency with dignity.”

Read the full article about how Atlanta reduced chronic homelessness by Robert Davis at Invisible People.