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The Need
Veterans and men coming home in Georgia get let go with almost nothing.
The numbers below aren't ours. They come from researchers and state agencies. We just live where they land.
Start with veterans
They served. Then a lot of them landed in the system.
U.S. veterans say they've been arrested at least once
That's out of about 19 million veterans nationwide.
Source: U.S. Department of Justiceveterans in state or federal prison
About 30% of incarcerated veterans have been homeless at some point.
Source: U.S. Department of JusticeGeorgia veterans homeless on a single night in 2025
That's just who got counted. Plenty more are couch-surfing or sleeping in a car.
Source: National Alliance to End Homelessness (HUD 2025 count)Then Georgia overall
The gap, in plain math
per 100,000 Georgians behind bars
That's the 7th highest incarceration rate in the country, and higher than any nation in the world except El Salvador.
Source: R Street InstituteGeorgians locked up on any given day
Counting prisons, jails, immigration detention, and youth facilities.
Source: Prison Policy Initiativedifferent people booked into Georgia jails each year
Jail stays are short but they cost people jobs, apartments, and custody of their kids.
Source: Prison Policy Initiativepeople released from Georgia prisons every year
Many of them with little preparation, support, or resources waiting on the other side.
Source: Georgia Prisoners' Speaktransitional center beds statewide
Twelve state transitional centers. Only two of them serve women.
Source: Georgia Prisoners' Speakof annual releases can fit in those beds
So most people coming home have to figure out housing on their own.
Source: Georgia Prisoners' SpeakWhat that looks like here
Three months goes by fast
Georgia does have some help. The Department of Community Supervision's Reentry Partnership Housing program pays for short-term housing, up to three months, for people on active state parole or probation who don't have a residence plan. That matters. We're glad it's there.
But think about three months. You're getting your ID back. Waiting on a first paycheck. Riding the bus to supervision. Trying to save up a deposit when landlords see your background and say no. Ninety days is gone before you've even caught your breath.
And if your supervision has ended, you don't qualify at all. Plenty of people walk out with no supervision and no plan.
That's why we pair the bed with structure, daily accountability, and employment readiness. The two biggest things that send people back are having no place to live and having no money coming in. We go after both at once.
"Nobody gets out and decides to fail. They get out and run into a wall. We're trying to put a door in the wall."Chrissy Hunt
Where we work: Serving Middle Georgia.
Why housing first
The stuff that actually trips people up
These aren't theories. It's the same handful of walls, over and over.
No address
No address means no job application, no bank account, often no approved parole plan. Everything starts with somewhere to sleep.
No ID
People walk out without a state ID, Social Security card, or birth certificate. Getting all three back can take weeks of running around.
No ride
Miss a supervision check-in because the bus didn't come and you're in real trouble. Transportation is a reentry issue, period.
No reference
A gap on your resume plus a background check is a hard sell. A supervisor who can say "they showed up every day" changes that.
You can't fix the whole state. You can fund one bed.
Our beds are full. Your gift helps open more space for veterans and men on the waitlist.