Do individuals have to go through a “check in”process, or are casual drop-in visits welcome?
What services are available on the other floors of the Center?
Why are 270 beds provided for men and only 30 beds provided for women and children?
How will the safety and security of women and children be addressed at the Gateway Center?
What is United Way’s role in the Regional Commission on Homelessness and the Gateway Center?
Do individuals have to go through a “check in”process, or are casual drop-in visits be welcomed?
Drop-in services are available on the first floor of the Gateway Center and are encouraged for all individuals in need. The first floor is seen as a low-impact, safe, and trusting place for engagement. In many ways this point of entry will be a “triage center”for homelessness. The first floor of the building will include toilets, showers, a laundry, food and water, a place to come in from the elements and rest, limited temporary storage for personal belongings, telephones, general information and referral resources. [back to top]
What services are available on the other floors of the Center?
Hospitality Center and Drop-in Services (First Floor) accessible to anyone off the street, include basic services like:
•toilets and showers; coin laundry facilities
•a place to come in from the elements and rest
•storage for personal belongings; telephones
•general information and referral services
Specialized services include:
•chapel
•outreach, intake, and assessment
•assistance in accessing mainstream benefits
•a separate, safe, and secure area for women and children
•referrals for internal and external homeless services, including housing and jobs
•counseling to promote reunification with family/friends and support community
•a full-service production kitchen with galleys on each residential floor with capacity to serve all residents in the building and produce meals for outside agencies
The second and third floors have:
•45 transition beds for men, designed to reach out to the chronic homeless, especially those with dual diagnosis, special needs, and frequent incarceration
•23 beds reserved for respite care
•a medical clinic for primary care
•22 assigned emergency beds (7 to 14 days) with a stated goal of the Housing First model
•22 beds of housing for men in job training programs, including a food service training program run in connection with the kitchen; participants in other employment or training programs may also be housed here
23 beds reserved for Re-Entry referrals for short-term stays for homeless men discharged for misdemeanors
45 beds for men with full-time employment in transition to permanent housing
The fourth floor have:
•46 beds of transitional housing for homeless veterans (in collaboration with Atlanta VA)
•45 pretreatment beds for men awaiting entry into substance abuse treatment programs, with access to support services such as AA meetings and drug/alcohol education classes
•a gymnasium which can be utilized for additional beds during a weather emergency [back to top]
Why are 270 beds provided for men and only 30 beds provided for women and children?
Prior to obtaining the Gateway Center facility, the earliest design concepts provided for only a drop-in center for both men and women. Housing for men, women, and families was expected to be in separate and secure facilities away from the drop-in center. However, the Gateway Center site design was altered by the need to adapt renovations to the current building layout. The renovation costs of separate men’s and women’s facilities on the upper floors of the building were prohibitive in the development process.
The 30 beds reserved for women and children in the separate and secure Women and Children’s Center are neither transitional beds nor residential program beds. These beds are accessible to women and children for the duration of the time necessary to refer them to the appropriate partner agencies. This period will be brief but can possibly last more than 24 hours in certain situations. The Gateway Center works to ensure that women and children are secure in its facilities throughout that time period. [back to top]
How will the safety and security of women and children be addressed at the Gateway Center?
There are two entrances to the Gateway Center. The entrance into the main first floor intake desk and services is available to any person needing assistance. The Women and Children’s Center has a separate and secure entrance, accessible only to women and children. Any woman who feels uncomfortable or unsafe using the main entrance for any reason can access the Women and Children’s Center through this entrance. In addition, only authorized personnel can access the Women and Children’s Center through the building itself. The Gateway Center actively seeks to ensure the safety of all its clients –including women and children –while providing them with services to best meet their individual needs. [back to top]
What is United Way’s role in the Regional Commission on Homelessness and the Gateway Center?
United Way is the facilitator of the Commission, providing staffing as well as strategic planning and project management expertise. In the Commission’s new emerging regional structure, United Way continues to provide staffing for the Commission. Initial research made it clear that, in addition to much-needed emergency services, access to longer-term solutions in one central location was missing in Atlanta’s work to address homelessness. United Way, in conjunction with the Commission, brokered the 30-year lease agreement to be held on the former pre-trial detention center, securing that site for the Gateway Center.
United Way engaged the metropolitan Atlanta region to be a part of the dialogue, the decisions and the solutions to ending homelessness. With the foundation of having worked together to create the Blueprint, the Commision has expanded to include the City of Atlanta, Fulton, Cobb, Clayton, DeKalb and Douglas counties. The invitation to more counties remains open. United Way partners with the Regional Commission on Homelessness to increase and leverage awareness, funding and action in support of the Gateway Center and the other projects of the Commission. [back to top]
