Atlanta Affordable Housing Network Spotlight: Grants from Fulton County Enable 3Keys to Provide Supportive Services for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness

Thanks to two major grants from Fulton County, The 3Keys continues to provide robust supportive services to approximately 400 of our clients who live in three apartment complexes in the county. Providing a home to individuals experiencing homelessness is just the first step. Supportive, wraparound services are life-changing for vulnerable residents in developing and maintaining stability and self-sufficiency. 3Keys has been a recipient of Fulton County grants several times in recent years.

One grant, Fulton County’s Consolidated Community Service Program grant, specifically covers supportive services at Welcome House, providing the appropriate, individualized assistance residents need to remove and overcome barriers. Such services include case management, medication monitoring/assistance, health screenings, food assistance, eligibility assistance, substance misuse counseling, and wellness programming. 

Another grant, Fulton County’s Veterans Services grant, also funds supportive services and enables additional resources towards outreach to veterans to ensure they are informed and have the best possible access to participate. While residents are not required to complete programs – program selection is tailored to their particular situation – our goal is to involve our veterans as much as possible.  

In 2023, nearly a tenth of people experiencing homelessness in Fulton and DeKalb counties were veterans – 252 out of 2,679 individuals.* Veterans often have additional, more complex needs that benefit from additional support. Veterans can find transitioning from military to civilian life difficult in a number of ways, such as translating skills and experience to a new career, finding new employment, and struggling with PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Funding for 3Keys from Fulton County’s Veterans Services grant is significant in serving those who served our country.

Studies have shown that considering the full picture of healthcare, supportive services, and affordable housing continually leads to improved outcomes for residents. At 3Keys’ affordable housing apartment complexes, residents can easily work with service providers to receive efficient social services, peer support, and the resources specifically needed for them to remain stably housed, attain sources of income, and improve their health outcomes.

The funding supports residents in the following affordable housing developments in metro Atlanta: 

• Phoenix House – located outside of downtown Atlanta near the Oakland City MARTA Station, these apartments provide affordable, long-term housing for adults who are homeless and have highly service dependent mental illness. This facility fills a critical gap between institutions and group homes, by providing independent living within a highly supportive environment. 
• O’Hern House – located in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood adjacent to downtown, the facility opened in 1993 to house 76 residents with severe mental health issues. It includes an industrial kitchen that is used to train residents in meal preparation and provides three meals a day.
• Welcome House – located in downtown Atlanta, this 209-unit development provides affordable housing for very low-income single adults. Welcome House offers an opportunity for residents to have a decent, safe place to live while receiving on-site support to cope with their individual needs.

Funding from Fulton County is critical to the “three keys” that enable individuals experiencing homelessness and mental illness to live with purpose and dignity: housing, help, and hope. The 3Keys is one of many organizations dedicated every day to making strides to end chronic homelessness in Atlanta.

Photo credit: Kimberly Evans

* Conducted annually by Partners for HOME, which leads Atlanta’s Continuum of Care (CoC) for homeless services, and administered by trained volunteers, the Point-in-Time Count determines the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in the City of Atlanta.