ATLANTA — Atlanta is home for Judy Brassell and Angela Trainer. The roommates are comfortable in their routine.
But that routine was nearly out of reach.
"People don't know that things can be taken away in a heartbeat," she said. "In a minute things can be taken away."
She's talking about her freedom.
Both she and Brassell have served time in prison on drug charges.
"It was terrible," Brassell said. "I don't know how else to explain it. But I also feel like if I didn't go to prison when I did, I would be dead."
When they got out, they faced a new struggle: where to live.
"It's impossible. I've looked at places before this house and it's impossible, there's no way to find an affordable place to live in Atlanta," said Brassell.
Trainer and Brassell have found themselves in the same situation thousands of people in Atlanta face every day - they could not afford to live where they work.
"Outrageous, there is no way I could do it," added Trainer.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta designated the city as an unaffordable housing market in America.
It means the average rent in Atlanta is more than what most people make in a month.
Below is the agency's analysis of home ownership. Use the interactive graphic to learn more.
That number is particularly challenging for people who have faced homelessness or are coming out of incarceration.
"Affordability is one of those challenges that a lot of individuals in our city are facing right now," said City of Refuge Founder Bruce Deel.
It's a challenge the City of Refuge is taking on.
The nonprofit is building affordable housing on the westside to protect low income residents from being priced out of Atlanta. According to the nonprofit, nearly 40% of residents on Atlanta's westside live below the federal poverty level
"People want to live where they work," Deel said. "They want to live in a community where they know people, where they have a true sense of community."
Brassell and Trainer secured affordable housing through The City of Refuges' new effort to build housing that costs less than 30% of a person's monthly paycheck -- unlike now -- that it could cost 100% of someone's monthly pay.
The effort is giving people like Brassell and Trainer a chance to settle into a normal routine; an opportunity to be home.
The process to secure housing through the City of Refuge is available to everyone but it takes time. Prospective renters or home owners go through a course in finance and home management to prepare them for the challenge of affording Atlanta. People can learn more on the City of Refuge's website.