DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County is investing $21 million to address the housing affordability crisis.
DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond’s multimillion-dollar plan to keep residents in their homes was unanimously approved by the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled a housing affordability crisis in our county,” Thurmond said. “This multimillion-dollar investment will prevent and protect families from evictions from their rental homes and apartments.”
The DeKalb County Community Care Initiative will distribute $13 million to 11 nonprofit organizations to provide rental and utility assistance, employment assistance, training, mental health services, educational needs, food, childcare and legal services.
The initiative is a partnership between DeKalb County Community Development’s Coordinated Entry and other nonprofits, in collaboration with the HUD-approved HOME-ARP program.
Participating nonprofit partners, along with their grant amounts and services they will provide, include:
• New Life Community Ministries, $2,9 million, rent and utilities
• Urban League of Greater Atlanta, $ 2.9 million, rent and utilities
• Latin American Association, $2 million, rent and utilities
• DeKalb County Government, $300,000, Coordinated Entry Services
• Atlanta Legal Aid Society, $600,000, housing stability services
• Jewish Family Career Services of Atlanta, $1 million, rent and utilities
• New American Pathways, $1.04 million, rent and utilities,
• Africa’s Children Fund, $1 million, rent and utilities
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul, $1 million, rent and utilities
• DeKalb Pro Bono, $200,000, housing stability services
• Paws Between Homes, $60,000, housing stability services