Housing & Shelter

If you have nowhere to sleep tonight, start early in the day, because beds fill by afternoon. In Atlanta, the main place to ask for a shelter bed or a housing program is the Gateway Center at 275 Pryor Street SW, 404-215-6600. Staff meet with people on weekdays, and it is best to get there early in the morning. Men, women and families go to different shelters, so say who is with you. If you are 18 to 24, Covenant House Georgia takes walk-ins at any hour. On freezing nights the city opens warming centers, and the Gateway Center is one. Call 404-215-6600 to ask where to go. See emergency shelters.

If you are behind on rent, no single office pays it. Churches and nonprofits each have a small fund that covers part of a month, and most serve only certain ZIP codes. The funds open and close as money comes in, so call 211 and ask what is open this week. The City of Atlanta Housing Help Center can also tell you which programs fit you. Have your lease, a photo ID, proof of income and the late notice ready. See rent help and help with utility bills.

If you get eviction papers, you have 7 days to answer the court. Answering is free and you can do it without a lawyer. If you do not answer, you can lose without seeing a judge. Call Atlanta Legal Aid at 404-524-5811 the same day. Tenants in Atlanta can also walk into the Housing Court Assistance Center. Your landlord cannot change the locks, put your things out, or shut off your power or water without a court order.

For a place with lower rent, expect to wait. The waiting list for housing vouchers (Section 8) is closed most of the time. Apartment buildings with lower rents keep their own lists, so call each one and ask to be added.

Written by ATL Care from the listings in this directory. See something wrong? Tell us.