LISTEN: After public outcry from residents and City of Atlanta leadership, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners approved funding for permanent supportive housing — but the money will only last through 2026. GPB's Amanda Andrews reports.

A line of three people wait on the stairs to speak at a fulton county commissioner meeting

Residents lined up to speak during public comment at the Fulton County Board of Commissioners meeting Jan. 21, 2025. The majority of them focused on housing.

Credit: Amanda Andrews / GPB News

After public outcry from residents and City of Atlanta leadership, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners approved funding for permanent supportive housing. However, the money approved will only last through this year.

Fulton County voted to approve $2.1 million for additional supportive housing projects addressing chronic homelessness. 

Atlanta housing organizations are expected to open 230 new units of supportive housing this year. The original budget only included money for supportive housing units that are currently open, but not the additional units Atlanta will build this year.  

Fulton County District 1 Commissioner Bridget Thorne said making space in the budget for the new units was a challenge.

“The issue was that they came with a 66% roughly increase that we needed to fund,” she said. “That took a little bit of maneuvering to figure out where are we going to get that additional $2.1 million. So I just wanted to be truthful. We weren't cutting anything. We were trying to find. I think everybody up here didn’t want to not fund that. It just took us a while to try to find where we're going to find that money to support that.”

The budget increase brings the county’s supportive housing contributions up to $4.8 million for 550 units in 2026. Funding for those units in 2027 and beyond remains uncertain.

Sojourner Marable Grimmett is a housing advocate who’s running for a Fulton County Commission seat. She said funding for 2026 is good but sustained help would be ideal.

“People need stable housing, affordable housing,” she said. “So this would be a long-term solution for me, an effort that I believe that the board of commissioners need to look down the road, if you will, and make sure that they approve these efforts moving forward.”

During public comment, residents called on Fulton County commissioners to ensure corporate developments are properly assessed and taxed.

Tim Franzen is with the American Friends Service Committee. He said when commercial properties aren’t paying their fair share, there's further ripple effects.

“The cost of that imbalance shows up when housing and human services are suddenly on the chopping block,” he said. “We should not be forced to choose between fiscal responsibility and housing our neighbors. We can do both if we're able to make powerful interests pay what they owe.”

Fulton County passed its 2026 budget in a 4-to-3 split vote.

Tags: Atlanta  Fulton County  affordable housing  Homelessness  housing  Georgia  GPB News