Nonprofit Housing groups respond to Katrina disaster

DULUTH, GA (Sepl. 23) - Members of the Georgia State Trade Association of Nonprofit Developers (G-STAND), each of them not-for-profit organizations that provide affordable housing in rural communities, towns and major cities of Georgia, have made exceptions to standard operating procedures in order to respond to the needs of evacuees from Gulf coast states who were victims of hurricane Katrina. 

   According to Kate Little, president of G-STAND, “these organizations have made various kinds of financial concessions to provide housing for evacuees and have mobilized volunteers and other resources to extend services beyond just providing housing.” In some cases, Little says that assistance has been extended for food, clothing, medical attention, enrolling children in school, referrals for permanent housing, transportation, and helping victims register for federal assistance. 

   Here are a few examples of early-on responses:
• Atlanta. The Atlanta Mutual Housing Association provided 90-days of temporary housing for up to 25 families, and secured furniture, food and clothing from various banks and churches. The Association also has a social service agency on site to work with the families. Families have received assistance with school enrollment, job referrals, and transportation.
• Atlanta. Progressive Redevelopment, Inc.’s PRISM Management Company waived application frees to evacuees for its vacant apartments, and communicated with agencies, lenders, and investors for approvals to do so. PRI/PRISM also helped encourage job networking and resume services for those relocating.
• Augusta. Augusta Neighborhood Improvement Association provided four temporary housing units to families for up to three months.
• Darien. Sams Memorial is housing ten persons by offering free rent, setting up utilities, and furnishing medicine, food and jobs. 
• DeKalb County. Initiative for Affordable Housing has provided apartments for 22 families in newly-renovated units and waived rent payments for three months. Initiative has also enlisted more than 20 churches to provide utilities, and personal support. Churches are also providing furniture, furnishings, and toys that families may take with them if they relocate to permanent housing. A social worker is available for case management and to make referrals for other clinical needs. 
• Macon. In-fill Housing, Inc, affiliated with the Macon Housing Authority, 
has assisted 30 families with housing, filling every vacancy in its public housing units, and turned on utilities in its own name, as well as assisted families with food, clothing, furniture, dishes, bedding toiletries, and small appliances. 
• Gwinnett County. In the first week of the disaster, The Impact Group had already helped 400 households (approximately 1,600 persons) with various kinds of services such as housing referrals, job referrals, and assistance in registering with FEMA. Additionally, The Impact Group has provided 10 families with 3 months of temporary housing and with furniture, home furnishings, food and clothing.
• Roswell. HOMESTRETCH provided free rent for evacuees in its transitional housing units and set up support teams composed of volunteers from local churches, businesses, and civic organizations to provide support for each family for up to three months each. 
• Savannah. Mercy Housing has assisted families in both Savannah and Atlanta. Ten Katrina evacuee families now reside in apartments at Villages at East Lake in Atlanta, and once the approvals of investors have been received in Savannah, others will be processed. 

   Several other nonprofit organizations are currently seeking resources from governmental agencies to welcome evacuees to their communities and help them cope with various aspects of rebuilding their lives beyond just housing. 

   Typically, G-STAND members provide housing for low-income working families in their communities by constructing or rehabilitating apartments and houses and by extending various kinds of social services and other programs such as homeownership development, transitional housing, and property management. G-STAND has over 50 members throughout Georgia. For more information visit gstand.org or call 678/808-4458.