The City of Atlanta and residents celebrated the opening of The Winnwood, a 48-unit development of permanent supportive housing (PSH), on Monday with a ribbon cutting. The Winnwood is the latest and fifth PSH delivered through the City of Atlanta’s rapid housing initiative, joining developments The Melody, Bonaventure and Ralph David House, with 200 units underway at Waterworks and Cooper Street Site in Mechanicsville as the city fights to tackle homelessness.
The Winnwood sits in the middle of Midtown, near The Whole Foods and steps from the MARTA Arts Center Station. The historic building has been renovated to showcase a modern and sleek design fully furnished with full-sized appliances, reflective of the interiors of many of Atlanta’s upscale apartments. Within the goal to provide 500 PSH units, organizations such as Partners for HOME and the developer Atlantica Properties aim to produce high quality homes in thriving neighborhoods that bring comfort, privacy and independence.
“Walking through those communities, I’ve seen people who now have a key in their hand, a door that locks behind them, and a life that feels steady once again,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said at the ribbon cutting. “That is what this work is all about, giving people the foundation to rebuild their lives and the strength to move forward. Here at Winnwood, residents will have supportive services, case management, behavioral health care, employment assistance and benefits that support them through our Partners for Home and also Hope Atlanta.
“Housing, to me, is a human right, and access to a safe, stable home is how we build stronger communities, lifting up our neighbors in need, and in turn, lifting up the entire city of Atlanta.”
The Winnwood is the first site of the rapid housing initiative in which residents were already living in the units during the grand opening celebration. A few of the residents attended the ribbon cutting, cheering as speakers at the podium talked about the heart and hard work that went into developing The Winnwood.
One of the residents, Darryl Wilkins, proudly held up his key to The Winnwood as he shared his story of how bad decisions led him to turn to a life of drugs that ultimately ended with him in prison. He thanked the audience and Dickens for pushing him to to turn his life around and for a second chance to make better decisions.
“I just needed somebody to push me. And the person that pushed me was one of you all. I don’t know who or what your title was, but somebody finally believed in me. And sometimes that’s all you need — somebody pushing. And you can do some miraculous things.”