CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — About 40,000 veterans in Georgia are living in poverty, according to a federal study by the Housing Assistance Council. Nearly 700 of them are experiencing homelessness.
Millions of taxpayer dollars were set aside to help in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but local veterans in some counties say they haven’t seen a dime of it.
That includes Army veteran Symphonique Lewis, who has been living in a hotel room with her children in Cherokee County for the past three months.
“We had a house fire and lost everything," Lewis explained. "I came to Georgia to try to start over, start get boots back on the ground and figure it out.”
But she said she ran into unexpected obstacles trying to secure housing.
“Everybody wants you to make three times the rent," she said. "I'm trying. I went and got a job. It's been stressful, to be honest. It's been really stressful.”
She wound up homeless with her three children. She was able to connect with Jim Lindenmayer, another veteran who runs Cherokee County’s Homeless Veteran program.
He helped get Lewis into the hotel room while she saves up for a place of their own.
"Ever since covid hit, housing is one of the biggest issues we have," Lindenmayer said. “It's ridiculous that veterans are suffering."
In 2021, the Veterans Affairs (VA awarded more than $418 million in grants through a program called Supportive Services for Veteran Families, or SSVF. It was federal money specifically earmarked to find housing for homeless veterans.
Hope Atlanta was given $3.3 million of that to serve 30 counties -- including Cherokee.
Lindenmayer said he’s written to and called Hope Atlanta dozens of times on behalf of vets like Lewis, asking for help. But he said help has never come.
“In the nine years I've run this program, we've never got a single veteran up here in Cherokee County into SSVF," he said. "They don't want to come out here. They're going to take that veteran and they're going to move them down to Decatur or into College Park.”
He said it's been an impossible decision for many veterans who are struggling and need help, but want to stay in their communities.
“They were like, we only have availability in Atlanta," Lewis recalled. "I don't want to leave this area just for you to take me there and throw me to the wolves. This is the area I want to stay in because this is the only area that's honestly trying to help me. My kids need stability. I need stability. That way I can get my mind back.”
Cherokee isn't the only county struggling to access resources. In 27 counties, there are no SSVF providers available at all.
11Alive requested public records from the VA to analyze exactly where the grant money is, and isn’t, going. Two months later, 11Alive still hasn't received a response.
“We need help and we need the government to do what they're supposed to do and that's do their job," Lindenmayer said. "They just refuse to do it or don't want to do it. And I can't figure out which one it is.”
Lewis hopes she'll be able to stay in the community she's come to love.
“I do not want to uproot my family," she said. "When I want to give up, I have reasons to know that I can't give up. We all have stories, and we are people, we are trying.”
A spokesperson for Hope Atlanta told 11Alive they do not require veterans to move to the City of Atlanta, but said they have faced limitations like availability and affordability in other counties.
"Through our comprehensive strategic plan launching on July 1, we will actively seek additional funds to dismantle the obstacles hindering affordable housing," the spokesperson said in a statement. "We prioritize veterans' housing choice and respect their preferences, supporting them in finding stable and sustainable housing solutions that align with their individual needs. Veterans are only advised to come to Atlanta or other counties for temporary or transitional housing options if necessary."
Hope Atlanta said some of the limiting factors in their housing assistance program is the specific criteria set by funding sources which define the eligibility requirements and parameters for assistance.
"Additionally, the availability of housing options and the affordability of certain areas can influence the roles we can play," a spokesperson for the nonprofit said. "In some cases, higher housing costs in specific counties, like Cherokee County, make it challenging to find affordable options for veterans. As a result, veterans may choose housing in more compatible and affordable counties, such as Cobb."