Clayton joins homeless cause
Henry Farber
Thursday, March 11, 2004

Clayton County has signed on to a regional effort to help the homeless and reduce their number.
But the county's leading advocate for the homeless says it remains to be seen whether the Southside will benefit as much as Atlanta, where Mayor Shirley Franklin initiated the plan.

"If this opens up more resources for us, that's great," said Tommy Holland, chairman of the Calvary Refuge Center in Forest Park, the Southside's premier homeless shelter.

So far, however, Calvary has housed many of Atlanta's homeless while receiving no financial help from the city, Holland said.

Clayton County commissioners agreed last week to join the Regional Commission on Homelessness, created by Franklin and the United Way. If plans work out, Clayton will combine forces with Atlanta, Fulton, DeKalb and possibly other metro governments on a regional homelessness strategy.

The United Way says its 211 assistance line indicates that homelessness is more than a downtown Atlanta problem. In 2002 --- the last year figures were compiled --- 1,335 Clayton residents called for shelter, compared with 8,403 in Fulton and 4,610 in DeKalb.

Clayton's count exceeded two larger suburban counties --- Cobb (1,237) and Gwinnett (1,024).
The commission wants to coordinate efforts by government, nonprofit and faith agencies. Combining forces will mean more efficiency and greater fund-raising clout for existing organizations, advocates say.

"The commission will give us leverage to access more resources," said Lynda L. Smith, United Way director for Clayton, Henry and Butts counties.

However, Holland wants assurances that a homelessness superagency will not diminish Calvary's work.
"If this new commission thinks what we need is another homeless shelter, that's not what we want. We need to support the one we have."

Calvary has won acclaim as the Southside's only 24-hour "all-purpose" shelter for men, women and children. Located off Jonesboro Road near I-285, it can house 112 people through two programs:

> An emergency shelter for single men, single women or one parent with children for as long as 30 days.
> Transitional living for families with children for up to two years. The program includes job training, substance counseling, parenting courses and other offerings to help families get on their feet.

With a staff of 13, Calvary is far larger than any other Southside shelter. But it has had difficulty finding the $400,000 needed to operate each year; the state government is cutting back, and federal agencies have been inconsistent in funding from year to year.

Clayton officials gave the homelessness commission an enthusiastic welcome. County Commissioner Carl Rhodenizer organized a ceremony that included several Clayton mayors and representatives of the United Way, the Department of Family and Children Services, the county and Jonesboro housing authorities, the Community Services Authority and the Salvation Army.