Contact:    Beth Haynes |404 543-7849 | beth.haynes@mercyhousing.org 

Affordable, multi-use community center to serve as a one-stop shop for homeless services

ATLANTA — Mercy Housing Southeast, a regional office of national affordable housing provider Mercy Housing, and Project Community Connections, Inc. (PCCI), a nonprofit working to end homelessness in Atlanta, celebrate the grand opening of Thrive Sweet Auburn on Wednesday, April 26, beginning at 10 a.m. The multi-use community center will provide an array of resources and services to area residents including affordable housing, a medical clinic, services for job seekers, a coffee shop, and more.

Located in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, Thrive Sweet Auburn features 117 affordable apartment homes and approximately 12,000 square feet of commercial space that will house organizations offering supportive services for residents and Atlantans who are experiencing homelessness. The housing is available by application for people who earn between 30 to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI) and will offer 23 permanent supportive housing units for families exiting homelessness, with additional units reserved for U.S. military veterans.

“This mixed-use community created by PCCI and Mercy Housing is an example of a strong nonprofit partnership that will deliver positive impacts for both residents and the larger community,” says Mercy Housing Southeast President, James Alexander. “And for this new affordable housing community to be located in one of Atlanta’s most historic neighborhoods, is really special.”

The first floor of this dynamic new community will be the headquarters for PCCI. The ground floor will also provide shared space featuring a community kitchen and offices for First Step Staffing. Together, PCCI and First Step Staffing’s colocation will serve clients who are navigating complex systems as they work to rebuild their lives by providing employment opportunities to garner the wages necessary to maintain secure housing and invest in their future.

“302 Decatur Street has been home to community services since the 1930s and served as PCCI’s headquarters since 1999. We are so excited to honor that legacy of service as the first one-stop shop for homeless services that now also will include housing,” said Margaret Schuelke, PCCI Co-CEO. “Thrive Sweet Auburn, is a model for organizations successfully working together to combat the conditions that lead to homelessness.”

“With today’s grand opening, Atlantans exiting homelessness, families with low incomes, people seeking job training, and veterans who need affordable housing will have a stable, service-enriched community to call home,” Alexander added.

Conveniently located near the King Memorial MARTA Station, Grady Memorial Hospital, and Georgia State University, three floors of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, developed and managed by Mercy Housing, will provide much-needed housing in an area where affordable rentals are increasingly hard to procure.

About Mercy Housing Southeast

Mercy Housing Southeast (MHSE) provides affordable homes to people with low incomes, including families, seniors, people who have experienced homelessness, and people with disabilities. With 45 properties throughout Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Tennessee, MHSE serves more than 5,200 people every day. MHSE supplements much of its housing with Resident Services, programs that help residents build stable lives. MHSE is a regional branch of Mercy Housing, Inc. (MHI), a leading national affordable housing nonprofit headquartered in Denver, CO. mercyhousing.org/southeast

About PCCI

Project Community Connections Inc. (PCCI) is committed to advocating for and growing expertise and resources locally and nationally to help homeless individuals and families achieve self-sufficiency. To lead with new ideas in areas that improve and enhance local best homeless services practices, to be a housing advocate for our clients, to demonstrate success through our actions, and to make a positive difference in the lives of our consumers. https://www.pccihome.org