The Athens Homeless Coalition gave an annual update to the Athens-Clarke County Commission this week. The organization’s Executive Director said a new tool has drawn a clearer picture of homelessness in the city.
The Athens Homeless Coalition coordinates local organizations that seek to reduce and prevent homelessness. The Coalition’s Executive Director, Michael Bien, presented an annual report Tuesday. He said the city’s newly revamped Coordinated Entry System is the most up to date in the state.
“Every other community, every other city in Georgia use the old tried and tested system developed in the 1990s and has several flaws in it,” he said.
The Coordinated Entry System allows organizations around the city to administer a survey to people facing homelessness.
Over the past year, nearly 900 people were assessed by the program in Athens, including nearly 200 children. Bien also said that over 40 people were housed thanks to the system's ability to match people facing homelessness with housing opportunities.
The 2025 numbers show a stark difference from those gathered by the Athens-Clarke County government during its Point-In-Time Count in 2025, when a little over 500 people were identified as experiencing homelessness.
