Safe, stable housing is essential for families, students, and communities.
Yet in Atlanta, where nearly half of residents are renters, too many face unsafe conditions, constant instability, or eviction notices. When housing becomes uncertain, children’s health suffers, education is interrupted, and families are left without options.
That’s where AVLF’s Standing with Our Neighbors® (SWON) program comes in. Instead of waiting for families to seek help, we bring legal advocacy directly into schools and neighborhoods, embedding attorneys and community advocates where they’re needed most.
Our team provides on-the-ground support to prevent eviction, fight poor housing conditions, and improve housing stability because home should be a place of safety, not uncertainty.
Why It Matters
- 1 in 5 renters in Fulton County faced eviction in 2015—a crisis that disrupts families and entire school systems.
- Housing instability hurts student attendance, health, and long-term success.
- Many renters don’t have the legal resources or transportation to access help downtown.
SWON was created in response to these gaps targeting neighborhoods with high renter density, pediatric asthma, and student turnover, where traditional legal services were out of reach.
A Growing Impact: From One School to Nine
SWON began in 2016 at Thomasville Heights Elementary School, in partnership with Purpose Built Schools and with support from the Cousins Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and the Home Depot Foundation. In just one year, the school’s student turnover rate dropped 14% below the five-year average.
By 2017, SWON expanded into two more schools in the Carver Cluster, plus five neighborhoods across NPU-V (Peoplestown, Pittsburgh, Mechanicsville, Adair Park, and Capitol Gateway).
Today, we’re embedded in nine Atlanta schools, where our attorneys and community advocates work side-by-side with educators and residents to repair unsafe conditions, stop evictions, and keep students rooted in their communities.
Legal Power, Community Commitment
We’re proud to partner with nine of Atlanta’s leading law firms, who have dedicated their time and talent to support this initiative:
Alston & Bird, Arnall Golden Gregory, Jones Day, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, King & Spalding, Nelson Mullins, Eversheds Sutherland, Taylor English Duma, and Troutman Pepper.
AVLF hopes to continue to expand this model and be an ally to other neighborhoods and movements to improve our community.
Thank You to Our Supporters
SWON wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our funders, community partners, and volunteers. We are deeply grateful for your commitment to making housing stability a reality across Atlanta.
Georgia Bar Foundation
Glenn Family Foundation
Jones Day Foundation
Kendeda Fund
Sartain Lanier Family Foundation
CFGA Opportunity Spark
Abreu Charitable Trust
Imlay Foundation
Hallock Foundation
Equal Justice Works
Arthur M. Blank Foundation
Jesse Parker Williams Foundation
Annie E. Casey Foundation
CFGA Donor Advised Fund
Rich Foundation
W.G. Raoul Foundation
Georgia Power Foundation
Fulton DeKalb Hospital Authority
Delta Community Credit Union