A Housing First Strategy Shows Measurable Results Amid Growing Federal Uncertainty
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.
“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.
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.”
“Atlanta Rising is not about making homelessness less visible,” Vassell said. “It’s about ending the crisis humanely, restoring stability, and proving that when a community aligns around housing-first solutions, real transformation is possible.”
Faster Housing, Better Outcomes
Vassell added that Atlanta Rising was able to reduce its chronically homeless population using a variety of evidence-based strategies. For instance, the program uses a Housing First strategy to get people into Permanent Supportive Housing as soon as possible. Once they are housed, people who were chronically homeless are then paired with services that meet their needs.
Atlanta Rising also made significant improvements to its rapid rehousing system, reducing the average number of days it takes to place someone in a home after their initial assessment. Vassell said Atlanta Rising houses people in an average of 34 days compared to the national average of 166 days.
These housing investments have also been paired with street outreach teams that work to build rapport with people living unsheltered and connect them with services.
Going forward, Vassell said Partners for HOME is working to strengthen multiple parts of Atlanta Rising to make it more impactful. One of the primary issues the organization is addressing is finding a more permanent funding source for the campaign.
Currently, Atlanta Rising is backed by private activity bonds, public investment, and philanthropic giving. Vassell said Partners for HOME is also working to increase funding from private businesses and community organizations. Vassell added that Atlanta leaders should consider implementing a policy to dedicate a portion of the city’s sales tax to homeless services, as Denver did.
“Atlanta needs similar long-term stability if we’re going to sustain momentum beyond major milestones,” Vassell said.
Federal Uncertainty Meets Local Resilience
Those efforts are happening at a time when the federal government has proposed making wholesale changes to its Continuum of Care grant program, the largest source of federal funding for homeless services. The new rules include capping expenditures on Permanent Supportive Housing, prohibiting groups like Partners for HOME from using a Housing First delivery method, and prioritizing applications from faith-based organizations.
A federal judge in Rhode Island temporarily blocked the proposed changes. However, the Department of Housing and Urban Development said it is still working behind the scenes to implement the changes.
Vassell said she is not worried about the federal policy changes impacting Atlanta Rising because it is “not a fragile experiment.” The program is entirely funded and controlled at the local level, even though some of the participating organizations receive federal funding.
Vassell added that Atlanta Rising is also working to increase the number of rapid-rehousing units in its orbit. However, those efforts have been constrained by the city’s tight housing market.
It is also working to expand wraparound services for people with complex needs, she said.
“Housing First is sometimes misunderstood in the political debate, but the outcomes are clear—when people have housing, stability follows,” Vassell said.
How You Can Help
Now is not the time to be silent about homelessness in the United States or anywhere else. Unhoused people deserve safe, sanitary housing just as much as those who can afford rent or a mortgage.
Poverty and homelessness are both policy choices, not personal failures. That’s why we need you to contact your officials and tell them you support legislation that:
- Streamlines the development of affordable housing
- Reduces barriers for people experiencing homelessness to enter permanent housing
- Bolsters government response to homelessness
Together, we can end homelessness.