Homeless coalitions in Macon and Warner Robins are set to announce Thursday a regional strategy to serve and support Middle Georgia’s unhoused population at the same level as all other metropolitan cities around the state.
Macon is among Georgia cities where no local tax dollars are spent on homeless services. It is also the only metropolitan area of its size without a Continuum of Care, a program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that – once established – will make the region eligible to receive more federal grant money specifically to address homelessness.
Business owners, concerned residents, nonprofit leaders, social service providers and faith-based organizations and local government officials are invited to attend a webinar to learn more about what role they can play in the new Continuum of Care program.
The announcement and webinar – set for 10 a.m. Thursday –comes after a year of laying groundwork for the new program, according to an emailed statement from Jake Hall, head of the Macon Homeless Coalition and executive director of United Way’s “Unite to End Homelessness” initiative.
“We believe that by coming together as a community, we can make significant strides in addressing the challenges of homelessness in Middle Georgia,” Hall wrote. “Your participation and input are invaluable to the success of this initiative.”
In January, the homeless coalitions organized a “point in time” count to establish baseline data on the population of unhoused people in Macon and Warner Robins. The count totaled 461 unsheltered people – more than originally thought.
Organizations in the Macon Homeless Coalition include United Way of Central Georgia, Loaves & Fishes, Daybreak, Salvation Army of Central Georgia, Macon Area Habitat for Humanity, Centenary Community Ministries Inc., the Macon-Bibb County Economic Opportunity Council Inc. and others.
Those who attend the webinar Thursday can expect to learn about the visions and objectives of the Continuum of Care program and what responsibilities and benefits will be for member organizations.
To register for the webinar, fill out this online form: https://airtable.com/appR89oCApG73Vfy7/shreSv8Kbjc1Ryyg1.
To contact Civic Journalism Fellow Laura Corley, call 478-301-5777 or email [email protected].
