ATLANTA — Funds have been secured and approved for a rapid housing project in metro Atlanta.
Mayor Andre Dickens announced that Invest Atlanta's Board of Directors has been approved for a line of credit of $7.5 million to start the project.
The funds will be used to build about 500 low-cost micro units. Officials with the mayor's office said the units can serve as temporary or permanent housing for unhoused individuals around the city.
“The crisis we are seeing of people experiencing homelessness calls for experimenting with new construction and product types that allow for rapid manufacturing developments we can put in place quickly,” said Dickens. “We are always seeking creative approaches to pilot and deliver new affordable housing options. This will be a small footprint but a large benefit to the community.”
The mayor's office added that the homes will serve as "low-barrier alternatives to congregate shelter."
This comes after Dickens made an executive order to use shipping containers as homes for the unhoused in August as an emergency for rapid housing. Georgia's Emergency Management Agency donated the shipping containers as a housing option.
The city said the new rapid homes should be ready by the end of this year.
“The face of homelessness in Atlanta includes women, men, families, youth, veterans, and others who deserve greater access to shelter and supporting services that help meet their individual needs,” said Dr. Eloisa Klementich, president and CEO, Invest Atlanta.
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