The Concerned Black Clergy Of Metropolitan Atlanta, Inc. (CBC) is doing its part to spread awareness for the city’s unhoused, hosting a “Night To Sleep Out” on Dec. 16 to showcase its solidarity.
The event hopes to address the growing systemic issue that is leading to an increase of unhoused people across Metro Atlanta, FOX 5 Atlanta reports.
“Thirteen counties in Metro Atlanta and
the Federal Reserve Bank, not one of our counties is an affordable house market,” remarked Rev. Shannon Jones, CBC’s president. “We are [in] a crisis. The median cost for a one-bedroom in Atlanta is $1,400 a month. That is not attainable if you make minimum wage.”Added Rev. Timothy McDonald, the group’s past president, “Affordable housing is a myth. There is no room in Atlanta for the poor.”
Fifteen churches are taking part in the solidarity event, with the CBC encouraging more religious groups across the city to participate.
According to Atlanta Mission, every night 2,000 have to sleep on the streets, with many doing so because they cannot afford housing in today’s market. The city is also working with the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to develop a housing support program because more unhoused people use the facility to escape the colder nights.
“It could happen to you or me just as easily. It could happen to anyone at any given time— job ends, an underinsured home burns down, a teen gets kicked out of the house—these are the faces we see daily at Atlanta Mission,” the organization said on its website. “They’re not crazy. They don’t come refusing to work. They’re not looking for handouts. They’re good people in tough situations,
To learn more about the efforts of the Concerned Black Clergy, Inc. and its “Night To Sleep Out,” more information can be found on its website.