DeKalb GA News

On December 4, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond announced the initiation of a $13 million program to tackle homelessness and prevent evictions. The initiative, known as the DeKalb County Integrated Community Care Initiative, aims to provide housing for homeless individuals and offer rental and utility assistance to those at risk of eviction.

CEO Thurmond emphasized the county's dedication to addressing the housing affordability crisis: “By providing housing for the homeless and rental assistance for the housing insecure, this program’s two-pronged approach continues DeKalb’s commitment to counter the housing affordability crisis in our county,” he stated. He added that "DeKalb County is investing millions to get and keep families in affordable homes."

The program will allocate funds to nine nonprofit organizations that will assist with housing for homeless persons and offer financial aid for rent and utilities. This effort was approved by the Board of Commissioners in August 2024 and is funded by the U.S. Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance program.

Allen Mitchell, director of the DeKalb County Community Development Department, highlighted the collaborative nature of this initiative: “This public-private initiative focuses on stabilizing our fellow DeKalb residents by partnering with nine nonprofit organizations that are already compassionately committed to providing housing assistance and wrap around services.”

Eligibility criteria include financial hardship due to unemployment or reduced income during or because of the pandemic. Priority will be given to households with members unemployed for at least 90 days. Households must also demonstrate homelessness or risk thereof, which can be evidenced by overdue utility bills or unsafe living conditions. Additionally, applicants must meet low-income requirements as defined by HUD's 2024 limits.

Participants will receive case management services aimed at ensuring long-term housing stability. Nonprofit agencies involved include New Life Community Ministries, Urban League of Greater Atlanta, Latin American Association, among others. Legal services related to evictions will be provided by Atlanta Legal Aid Society and DeKalb Pro Bono.

Residents interested in applying can contact the DeKalb Integrated Community Care Initiative hotline at 404-371-NEED (6333) during business hours from Monday through Friday.

The initiative is set to expire on June 30, 2025. For further details or inquiries, residents can call or email NEED@dekalbcountyga.gov.

Previously, from 2021 until February 2024, the DeKalb Tenant-Landlord Assistance Coalition distributed $55 million in federal emergency rental assistance aiding over 5,900 households affected by COVID-19.