Curious about what all AHC does?
Read more below about what we do. If you want to be involved with anything you see below, feel free to reach out on our contact page.
Coordinated Entry
Coordinated Entry is an evidence-based system to improve access to tailored emergency and long-term housing solutions for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The Athens Homeless Coalition, with the support of numerous agencies and community members, is in the process of upgrading our Coordinated Entry System to be more efficient, equitable, and user-friendly. Athens is the only community in Georgia that has committed to these innovative upgrades.
Coming soon: We plan to pilot the new system in early 2025 and gradually expand the program to include any organization that serves or engages with people experiencing homelessness.
Georgia Supportive Housing Institute
The Athens Homeless Coalition is proud to lead a diverse, multidisciplinary team in the highly competitive 2024-2025 Georgia Supportive Housing Institute. The Institute brings together housing developers, service providers, property managers, and community members to learn and navigate the process of developing permanent supportive housing, the gold standard solution for individuals and families with the most critical housing and service needs.
Coming soon: After our team graduates from the Institute, we plan to actualize our concept and break ground on a mixed-income development in Athens that provides a wide range of housing and wraparound services for our unhoused and low-income neighbors.
People with Lived Experience (PLE) Listening Sessions
In 2024, the Athens Homeless Coalition PLE Committee facilitated 22 listening sessions with Athens residents who currently experience or have experienced homelessness. Led by committee members with lived experience, the sessions are an opportunity to share experiences, provide support, and offer critical feedback and recommendations to service providers, agencies, and government officials. We compiled feedback into a report which informs the Coalition’s strategic planning, advocacy, and operations.
Coming soon: We will continue our work with people with lived experience, elevating voices and leveraging the collective power of our unhoused neighbors.
State of Homelessness Event
On January 30, 2025, Envision Athens and the Athens Homeless Coalition hosted a free community-wide event addressing homelessness in Athens. The State of Homelessness Event featured feedback shared by individuals who have experienced or are currently experiencing homelessness in the area. Attendees learned about actionable volunteer opportunities to address homelessness in Athens.
Coming soon: We are already planning our next event to share ideas and solutions with more members of the community.
Service Provider Needs and Priorities
In 2024 and 2025, we collected information from a diverse sample of our community’s homeless service providers through interviews, focus groups, and a survey, developed in collaboration with the Athens Wellbeing Project. This data collection was designed to better understand agency priorities and needs, and how we can best support their work.
Coming soon: We will review the results and nationwide best practices to inform program planning and strategically allocate funding directly to individuals and families struggling to secure housing or maintain their existing housing.