Homelessness is a Crisis for Us All
Most agree that everyone should have healthy food and clean water, but what about a roof over our heads?
What do we owe our fellow man? That’s one of the most basic questions we grow up pondering, especially as it relates to people who aren’t in our immediate circles. The answer to that question varies wildly depending on one’s personal and political beliefs. Some feel we don’t owe each other much of anything at all – it falls to individuals to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and take responsibility for everything in their lives, including their most basic needs. Others feel that everyone is entitled to basic needs regardless of who they are or what they do in society.
Housing is one of those needs that is up for debate, particularly in the United States. Most agree that everyone should have healthy food and clean water, but what about a roof over our heads? While there are programs at the state and national level to help facilitate finding a home, massive gaps remain – there are 10,000 homeless people in Georgia and around 650,000 nationwide, including many women, children and veterans.
For those of us who live in Georgia’s urban centers like Atlanta, Athens, Columbus and Savannah, the homelessness problem is hardly new. We have seen tents that line freeways and people in the streets with cardboard signs asking for money. These sights have become so commonplace that I often see people walking down the street pretending that our struggling brothers and sisters don’t exist. They refuse to so much as make eye contact, much less spare a word or a dollar.
Even if you don’t want to or can’t give money, that behavior represents one of the core problems in dealing with the homelessness crisis – those living without a roof over their heads are often invisible even when we’re staring right at them. I make a point to say hello, at a minimum, because everyone deserves to be treated like a human being, no matter what they are going through.
And make no mistake, they are going through more than most of us. In addition to having no place to live, 44% of individuals experiencing homelessness in Georgia reported having a serious mental illness, and around a third reported having a substance use disorder. These are problems that are only exacerbated by homelessness, as a vicious cycle is created where treatment is difficult to access and it becomes more difficult to get and keep a job.
It is clear that we cannot wait for someone to become a fully functioning member of society without having their most basic needs met first. Some municipalities in Georgia have realized that and decided to take action.
Atlanta is the biggest city in the state, and as a result has the most to gain from dealing with homelessness. There are efforts to build more housing, and there’s no question that the lack of affordable housing has contributed to the homelessness problem and housing cost burdens. The city also has created an innovative new program where shipping containers are converted to housing for those who need it. It’s part of the city’s “rapid housing initiative” to build 500 low-cost micro-units on city-owned land by the end of 2025.
The first community, The Melody, opened in January 2024 with 40 units near the Garnett MARTA station. Each unit contains a bed, bathroom and kitchenette to allow for privacy and independent living. Residents have access to community amenities and support services to help them eventually transition back to more independent living.
My own hometown of Athens has also experimented with unique solutions, such as a government-sanctioned homeless encampment called “First Step” which opened in 2022. While the encampment closed in late 2023 due to limited funding, Clarke County approved several new plans relating to housing and homelessness, including the Affordable Housing Investment Strategy, the Strategic Plan to Reduce and Prevent Homelessness, and a transition plan for the sanctioned homeless encampment.
At its core, homelessness is a problem with a simple solution – give people homes. We are all human and inherently deserving of the dignity of a roof over our heads. It is unreasonable to expect someone to get a job and get off the streets before they have food and shelter.
Homelessness is a problem that affects us all, and we all should be part of the solution – not just the federal government, cities, corporations and nonprofits – but regular people. Even if we can’t contribute financially, each of us can offer a kind word as we go about our day. Working together, we can make a difference.
Tharon Johnson can be seen Sunday mornings on The Georgia Gang on Fox 5 Atlanta and is the founder and CEO of Paramount Consulting Group.
