A letter from Community Assistance Director Sonya Humphries.

While the number of Atlantans who need emergency financial assistance has multiplied during the pandemic, the issue isn’t new.

COVID-19 is like a magnifying glass, zooming in on unstable systems and structures that low-income families and people of color face even without a pandemic.

The hardest hit families are those who were living paycheck to paycheck.

The bleak picture is that for those whose lives are not normally affected, lack of affordable housing and the rise of homelessness in our city are largely ignored.

With millions of people out of work, the demand for financial assistance has grown, shedding light on a national issue affecting Atlanta families. What we know is this: households who were at risk before are still at risk now, but with far greater intensity. Atlanta has many families living in fear of losing the little stability they have, both pre-COVID and now.

Of course, COVID-19 has affected all communities in Atlanta – but the hardest hit families are those who were living paycheck to paycheck. Families have long been judged for struggling to maintain a roof over their head and food on the table, and a stigma has fallen on people who fall short month to month.

Many of these families are now living with disconnected utilities and the growing pressure of impossibly high back-rent balances awaiting them once the CDC’s eviction moratorium is lifted.

Together, the AVLF family is tackling eviction and homelessness from both sides: in the courtrooms, and through direct financial payments to landlords and utilities companies.

A solution to the housing crisis has never been more urgent.

Since before COVID-19 emerged, our Community Assistance team has been focused on the diversion and prevention of homelessness. Working with like-minded partners and leaders in the fight against homelessness, we’re working in the heart of the most affected Atlanta communities — and we’ve expanded our capacity to meet the needs of our community throughout this crisis.

Together, the AVLF family is tackling eviction and homelessness from both sides: in the courtrooms, and through direct financial payments to landlords and utilities companies.

Whether we serve survivors of intimate partner abuse who needs emergency financial assistance to maintain their safety, or a family with children who need the lights to stay on so they can finish their schoolwork, our team is here to provide crucial financial assistance to Atlantans in need.

We must continue to advocate for fair and affordable housing for all residents of Atlanta.

In 2020 alone, our Community Assistance Team has served nearly 800 families with a total of more that $828,000 in emergency financial assistance.

And through an extraordinary funding opportunity from United Way and the City of Atlanta through the CARES Act, we received $2 million to provide direct assistance to renters who are at risk of eviction due to COVID-19. 94% of this funding will go directly to paying overdue rent, keeping families’ utilities on, and helping survivors find the safety and stability they deserve.

But emergency financial assistance is not the final solution. Our work isn’t finished. We must continue to advocate for fair and affordable housing for all residents of Atlanta. Long after this pandemic ends, our Community Assistance team will remain in the center of the fight to prevent and divert homelessness.

Sincerely,

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