Advocates have identified four basic areas of human need that, if addressed, could profoundly affect low income and homeless people in Georgia.
Housing
- By its name it is implied that homelessness is a housing problem.
- The sole common characteristic of homeless people in Georgia is that they do not have housing.
- More housing must be made available to poor and low income people in Georgia. The supply of housing available to low income people has declined since 1970 when there were twice as many low cost units available as there were low income households.
- By 1983 the trend reversed-there were three households competing for every available unit in Georgia due to thousands of affordable units being lost to abandonment, urban renewal, gentrification, arson and condominium and cooperative conversion.
- Cost of housing has risen, but earnings of low income people has not kept pace.
- In Georgia's localities that have an adequate supply of housing, it is often beyond the economic reach of low and median income people.
- There is a need to increase the capacity of nonprofits and community development corporations to develop such housing.
Income
- Ensure that people's incomes are adequate to support stable, independent living. Work is the chief source of income for homeless people, followed by public benefits.
- Incomes of homeless people in Georgia are very low, most times just above the minimum wage. Over the past twenty years, increases in wages and benefits have failed to keep pace with increases in the cost of living.
- As a result, poor people in Georgia are forced to spend in excess of 65-70% of their incomes on housing.
- There are a variety of ways other than expanding public benefits in which incomes can be increased, including increased employment training and job development.
Services
- Many of Georgia's homeless and low income people will still require assistance to overcome the problems that interfere with their independence.
- Residential recovery programs are needed as resources in dealing with drug and alcohol abuse illnesses along with follow-up programs to provide on-going assistance.
- Others need case management to help them establish the support networks that most of us rely upon to help us handle the crises of daily living.
- Some require treatment and counseling to help manage their mental illness.
- Families need access to quality and affordable child care to give them the time and energy to train and apply for a job.
- There is a need for legal aid and representation to help many escape from debilitating domestic situations.
Community Commitment
- Communities must accept that the homeless problem is not just isolated to Georgia's Metropolitan Areas.
- Every community needs to be open to creating a comprehensive Continuum Of Care that includes homeless prevention.
- Local governments must examine and be willing to make changes in ordinances, zoning and laws that are oppressive.
- Strong community partnerships must be created to focus on filling gaps that the nonprofit and government sector cannot address alone.
