Athens Coordinated Entry · Year One

One Year of Connecting Athens to Home

A community-wide effort to make finding housing fairer, faster, and less confusing. For every neighbor who needs it.

What Is ACE?

Athens Coordinated Entry (ACE) is how our community keeps track of who needs housing assistance and connects them to the right support. Instead of everyone navigating a maze of separate systems alone, ACE helps make sure that when housing becomes available, it goes to the people who need it most, as fairly and quickly as possible.

Year One, By the Numbers

973

Assessments completed
(as of 7/1/26)

113

Community members trained as ACE assessors

Partner agencies serving as access points

19 households → stable housing

19 adults and 16 children were referred through ACE and are now stably housed. Another 23 households have exited homelessness and are no longer active in the ACE system, based on the latest information reported.

What's an access point? A place where someone can walk in and start the ACE process: completing an assessment that connects them to housing and services suited to their needs.

In Their Words

"It feels good for our staff to have a first step in the housing process when working with our patients." — Mercy Health Center

✓ What's Working

Stronger coordination between agencies
Better serves those with the greatest need
More efficient referrals to housing
Better tracking of community-wide data
More places to get connected

→ What's Next in Year Two

Expand the number of access points
Improve assessment tools and process
Strengthen partnerships across agencies
Increase housing placements
Enhance data systems

Being Honest About the Work Ahead

Housing need in Athens still outpaces supply, so even a faster process means a long wait. ACE also adds a new step to a system that can already feel repetitive, and trust in that process takes time to build. None of this changes what year one proved: coordinated effort gets more people home. There's just more work to do.

Want the Full Story?

This is the short version. Our full Year One report walks through how ACE works, partner voices, and a closer look at what's ahead.

Read the Full Report (5 pages) →

See the Full Picture

Explore real-time data on homelessness in Athens-Clarke County, our neighbors and fellow community members whose experiences call us to shared responsibility.

View the ACE Data Dashboard →