Senate committee looks at how to fix homelessness

ATLANTA — A state Senate study committee began work Thursday, Aug. 4, trying to find ways to help homeless Georgians living on the streets.

Sen. Carden Summers, R-cordele, the committee’s chairman, made waves earlier this year when he sponsored a bill that would have criminalized street camping.

But on Thursday (Aug. 4), Summers emphasized that criminalization is no longer being considered and he is focused on solutions.

“This is not a Republican or Democrat issue,” he said. “This issue is an issue to make Georgia a better place and to help folks that need help. That’s what we’re here for.”

“Criminalization is off the table,” Summers repeated several times.

The committee is focused on the “unsheltered” homeless population — that is, people without permanent housing living on the streets, in the woods, and in other places not meant for human habitation.

The number of homeless people in Georgia appears to have declined over the past decade, said Christopher Nunn, commissioner of the state Department of Community Affairs.

The most recent data, from 2019, showed about 3,880 unsheltered homeless people in the state. Nunn said a new count conducted earlier this year will likely show an uptick over the 2019 level but still far below where the homeless population stood a decade ago.

One major driver of homelessness is increased housing costs in

Georgia, both in Atlanta and in more rural areas. That makes it harder for people to pay rent — even when they are receiving housing assistance.

Nunn said there are currently around 970 households in Georgia with hold a federal housing voucher but cannot find a landlord.

About one-third of homeless Georgians live in Atlanta, said Cathryn Vassell, CEO of Partners for Home, the lead agency for homelessness in Atlanta.

In an older approach to addressing homelessness, people who needed medical or mental services were asked to get those services first, to get “ready” for housing, said Vassell.

But today’s best practices focus on providing housing first, Vassell said. This allows people some stability as they tackle other issues they may face, like mental illness or finding a job, she said. The additional supports help prevent many people from returning to homelessness.

Vassell said the housing-first approach is also more cost effective than short-term housing solutions or continued homelessness. She said the organization has also partnered with private funders and developers to build additional supportive housing units.

Partners for Home has had success in getting people in Atlanta into temporary housing and often permanent housing.

But some see the housing-first model as too permissive.

Judge Glock, senior director of policy and research at the Cicero Institute, argued that people who are getting housing assistance should be required to meet certain standards, such as sobriety.