Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta

Home First Initiative funds threatened

Our friends at Intown Cares alerted us this week to an unexpected cut in promised funding from Fulton County that will have significant impact on those experiencing homelessness and our mission partners' ability to house them with necessary supportive services for their housing to be successful. To restore funding, they are asking for advocates to email/call Fulton County Commissioners or attend a public hearing.

Read below for details and a script and contact information to reach out to your elected officials.

A crisis has emerged over the past two weeks, and we need you. At their Commissioners meeting next Wednesday 1/21, Fulton County is set to vote to defund support services they committed to for more than five hundred future and current clients in permanent supportive housing. This would be a catastrophic mistake, effectively shuttering housing for people who have left homelessness--including dozens of our former clients at Ralph David House, Waterworks, The Melody—forcing them back on the streets.
We need to urge the County Commissioners to reverse course and fully fund these services. If you are a Fulton County resident, please mention this! We need you to:
1. email the four opposition Commissioners listed below
2. sign this online petition, and/or
3. come to the Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, January 21 at 9:30 a.m. and speak out against this during the public comment section. The meeting is held at: Fulton County Government Center, Assembly Hall, 141 Pryor Street, SW, Atlanta, GA 30303. Please arrive by 9:30 to sign up to speak during the public comment period.

The issue is in 2019, Fulton County committed to fund essential support services for 30 years as part of the Home First public/private/nonprofit initiative with the City of Atlanta, Atlanta Housing, Invest Atlanta, United Way, Partners for Home, philanthropy, real estate developers, corporate funding, and nonprofit organizations. This Home First program has been wildly successful, bringing together over $300M and housing 300 families to date with 230 more families to be serve in 2026.
Emailing the Fulton County Commissioners
Below are the four commissioners who are proposing to cut funds. Please email all of them. Sample text is below.
• Commissioner Bridget Thorne bridget.thorne@fultoncountyga.gov
• Commissioner Bob Ellis bob.ellis@fultoncountyga.gov
• Commission Chair Robb Pitts robb.pitts@fultoncountyga.gov
• Commissioner Khadijah Abdur-Rahman Khadijah.Abdur-Rahman@fultoncountyga.gov

SAMPLE TEXT: Subject line: Supporting FY26 Funding for Home First Supportive Services
January 19, 2026
Dear Chairman Pitts and Members of the Fulton County Board Commissioners,
As a [Fulton County resident (as appropriate)/member of insert role/connection to the CoC], I write to respectfully urge the Fulton County Board of Commissioners to fully fund supportive services for Home First Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) in the FY26 budget.
In 2019, the Board of Commissioners unanimously committed to providing ongoing funding for supportive services as part of the Home First initiative, a public private partnership designed to end chronic homelessness through permanent housing paired with services. That commitment was relied upon in good faith by developers, service providers, lenders, and public partners.
Permanent supportive housing is an evidence-based solution that works when services are funded. Today, more than 300 individuals with disabling conditions are stably housed and receiving services through Home First, with additional PSH units projected to come online in 2026. Without full FY26 services funding, housing stability for these residents and the progress achieved to date is at risk.
We recognize the complexity of the FY26 budget and the fiscal pressures facing Fulton County. We deeply appreciate the Chair’s leadership and the Board’s continued engagement on housing stability across Fulton County. At the same time, we believe honoring this long-standing commitment is essential to protecting the substantial public and private investments already made and ensuring continuity of care for some of our most vulnerable neighbors
We respectfully ask that you support full FY26 funding for Home First supportive services and uphold the County's commitment to this proven approach.
Thank you for your continued service and consideration.
Sincerely,

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First Five Freedoms is proud to join Georgia Lawyers for the Rule of Law, The Temple, and All Saints Episcopal Church for "Faith, Law, & Democracy: A Community Conversation on the Public Good and the Rule of Law" on Tuesday June 2. We hope you will consider joining us for this important discussion. Americans across the political spectrum are grappling with a shared unease: the feeling that something foundational is slipping. Trust in institutions is eroding. The norms that once governed public life are contested. And the concept of the public good — the idea that we share a common stake in fair, just, and accountable governance — is increasingly hard to find in our public discourse. This program brings together faith leaders, legal experts, and engaged community members for an evening of honest conversation about what is at stake. Hosted at All Saints Episcopal Church and co-presented by The Temple, Georgia Lawyers for the Rule of Law (GLRL), and First Five Freedoms, the event weaves together spiritual reflection, legal analysis, and civic dialogue to address one central question: What does it mean to protect the rule of law — and why does it matter for all of us, right now? The evening will include reflection, analysis, and discussion designed to:

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