Mayor Dickens, City of Atlanta convert shipping containers to housing for homeless

As Atlanta’s unhoused population continues to rise, and temperatures threaten to return to below freezing following a winter weather surge on Wednesday, Feb. 28, Mayor Andre Dickens’s innovative initiative to convert shipping containers to temporary housing has come to fruition, and residents are glowing about their new digs. The Melody, a temporary single-room occupancy development which will be located in south downtown Atlanta will house up to 40 tenants in studio-style units made up of donated shipping containers. Each unit features a bathroom, bed, and kitchenette, the city said. Tenants start with a 12-month lease, but the system provides permanent housing, meaning residents can stay as long as they like. Residents are asked to pay up to 30 percent of their income, if they have one, meaning they do not need to pay anything if they do not have a source of income. The opening of The Melody on Jan. 26 made available the first 40 units for occupancy with plans to open 500 additional units by 2025. & “It’s a way for us to help people while they’re experiencing homelessness to have dignity and humane conditions,” Mayor Andre Dickens said. In Fulton County’s annual 2024 Point In Time Count,...