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A Partnership Between Mayor Kasim Reed and Community Leaders to Dramatically Reduce Street Homelessness in Atlanta

Registry

Atlanta Homeless Registry

The goal of the Atlanta Homeless Registry, launched in January 2013, is to create a by-name registry of people living on our streets and in shelters, enabling us to prioritize those most vulnerable and those at risk of dying on the street so that we can connect them with housing and services that meet their needs.

The Registry survey includes a Vulnerability Index (VI) designed to measure health vulnerability. This data – along with other factors, such as length of time homeless – will be used to prioritize permanent supportive housing resources for chronically homeless individuals and families and those with the highest risk of dying on the streets. The Registry will be the primary vehicle for driving community efforts to house 200 chronically homeless people, 400 homeless veteran households, and 200 episodically homeless households  by December of 2013.

A total of 190 volunteers participated in the Registry the week of January 17, 2013, and 749 homeless individuals agreed to be interviewed.

Highlights:

  • Homeless people interviewed ranged in age from 18 to 83
  • 20% are women
  • 15% are veterans
  • 7% are elderly (over age 62)
  • 47.5% are chronically homeless
  • 54% have one or more serious medical conditions
  • 34% have a history with mental illness
  • 64% have a history with substance abuse
  • 23% are “tri-morbid,” meaning they struggled with mental illness, substance abuse, AND chronic physical illness
  • Based on the number of ER visits and hospital stays, and cost data provided by Grady Hospital, we estimate that the 749 people on the Registry have an annual healthcare cost of over $8M. National studies show a 60% reduction in healthcare costs after a homeless person has been in housing for one year. This translates to a potential cost savings of over $5M for the individuals on the Registry.

For more information about findings and next steps, download the Registry Summary.

For more background on the purpose of the Registry, download the Registry Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

The Atlanta Homeless Registry is sponsored by the Office of Mayor Kasim Reed, United Way of Greater Atlanta, Hands On Atlanta, and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District.