“We are here today because we are tired. We are tired of paying more for less. We are tired of living in rat-infested slums … We are tired of having to pay a median rent of $97 a month in Lawndale for four rooms while whites living in South Deering pay $73 a month for five rooms. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God’s children.”

— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1966, Chicago Soldier Field Stadium as part of the Chicago Open Housing Movement

AVLF honors Dr. King’s memory every day with a mission driven by his dream of civil rights and social justice. What better way to celebrate Dr. King’s birthday than helping his dream come to fruition?

It has been 55 years since the enactment of the Fair Housing Act – a groundbreaking law that Atlanta’s very own Dr. King helped inspire. An important part of the civil rights movement around the nation involved the pursuit of fair and equitable housing. And yet, forty- to fifty-thousand evictions are filed every year in Fulton County. And, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, households bearing the brunt of the resulting extremely high housing instability in Atlanta live in predominantly Black neighborhoods. We all know the impacts of those findings because we see it every day. 

We aim to not only help individuals and communities survive but also thrive – a dream deserved.

We have more than five million people living in the metro Atlanta area – with the City of Atlanta seeing an increase of nearly 3% (from April 2022 to April 2023). More than 14,000 additional people flocked to Atlanta because of exponential growth in business and employment opportunities. Yet because of homelessness, limited affordable housing or unsafe living conditions, those pathways to success can often feel unreachable for many of those we serve.

I’m proud of the hard work that our AVLF staff and team of volunteers continue to deliver to our clients and community partners every day to manifest Dr. King’s dream. I know that it is impossible to do this work and hear their stories and feel the weight of it all or even question whether we are doing enough. It’s because we aim to not only help individuals and communities survive but also thrive – a dream deserved.

When a survivor chooses to leave their abuser, they may not have access to financial resources and find themselves unable to secure affordable housing.

So, as we celebrate life and legacy of Dr. King, here’s a reminder of just one of the ways we are helping Atlanta keep his dream alive. Last year, Standing with Our Neighbors (SWON), our groundbreaking, school-based, housing justice initiative:

• Helped tenants avoid $37,238 more in debt claims than in 2022
• Helped tenants avoid 59% more threatened or filed evictions than in 2022
• Provided services to 439 household members vs 399 in 2022 (10% increase)
• Provided services to 122% more children in SWON schools than in 2022

Additionally, we know that housing instability related to intimate partner abuse is the primary cause of homelessness in women. In a report from Fordham University, studies showed that approximately 94% of women in abusive relationships faced some form of economic abuse. When a survivor chooses to leave their abuser, they may not have access to financial resources and find themselves unable to secure affordable housing. With a possible eviction on record and no legal guidance, homelessness may be their only option.

We owe it to Dr. King, and generations to come, to help fulfill his vision for civil rights and social justice in our lifetime.

Our Safe and Stable Families team works tirelessly and courageously to ensure that survivors of intimate partner abuse and their children remain safe and stable, and AVLF’s Community Support and Partnerships Program is there to step in with funding and support when a rental or utility payment or other support is needed to prevent displacement.

We owe it to Dr. King, and generations to come, to continue this work. Toward that end, as we begin 2024, I am focused on making sure we continue to:

• Inspire. Share AVLF success stories in bolder and richer ways to reach more people who need our services AND attract more support.
• Innovate. Work with our volunteers and community partners to create greater pathways for success for those we serve.
• Invest. Identify opportunities to not only have a greater impact with the people and communities we serve, but also arm our AVLF team members and volunteers with the tools and resources they need to be even stronger advocates.

As we celebrate Dr. King’s birthday – and begin to celebrate AVLF’s 45th anniversary – let’s continue to build upon our successes and keep Dr. King’s dream at the center of all that we do.

Sincerely,

Want to read other Letters From Leadership? They are an easy way to find out what drives us here at AVLF. You can find them all here.