by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
July 1, 2025
The Downtown Rising Project hopes to house 400 people by next year.
As Atlanta kicks off preparations for one of the most significant global sporting events, it has one thing on its priority list outside of the games.
The city has intensified its efforts to combat homelessness in preparation for hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to 11Alive, the initiative aims to take 400 people off the streets of Atlanta through a program called Downtown Rising.
Led by the nonprofit Partners for Home, the $212 million project aims to provide shelter for hundreds of unhoused Atlantans. Despite the timelines coinciding with Atlanta’s stint as a FIFA host city, leaders of the program insist that the good work would have carried on regardless.
“We’re not doing this just because of the World Cup,” said Annie Hyrilla with Partners for Home. “We’re doing this to house individuals and to keep people housed.”
Currently, multiple outreach workers are on the ground in Atlanta to assist unhoused individuals with the support and documentation they need to secure long-term shelter.
“We’re investing in permanent supportive housing, and I think that really illuminates our commitment,” added Hyrilla.
The city is currently developing two major units to house those experiencing homelessness. One of the developments, deemed Waterworks, will feature 100 units, with 30 designated for round-the-clock medical and mental healthcare. The units will come pre-furnished when they arrive at the site.
Thus far, 49 people have been housed thanks to the Downtown Rising initiative. Another housing site, located at 405 Cooper Street, plans to transform a former homeless encampment into a second supportive housing development. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens called the site “innovative” because it addresses the city’s homelessness crisis.
According to Partners for Home, Atlanta experienced a 7% increase in its homeless population last year, rising to nearly 2,900 unhoused individuals in the city. Family homelessness also increased by 14%. The nonprofit attributed these growing numbers to rising rents and low vacancy rates, alongside a growing population.
However, governmental investments in initiatives like Downtown Rising can greatly reduce the number of those unhoused. Partners for Home also hopes to surpass its 400-person goal and wants the program’s success during the World Cup to take its efforts even further.
RELATED CONTENT: The Unspoken Divide: Morayo Afolabi-Brown Reveals Nigerian Parents’ U.S. Directives That Encourage Division With Black Americans
