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Number of homeless in Georgia declines, but challenges remain
5,797 people were homeless across 152 of 159 counties in state
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The belongings of a homeless person decorate a beam at the homeless camp under the Queen City bridge while tents are set up at the base of the bridge on Wednesday. Shifting from place to place and job to job, the homeless are hard to track and the state’s recent survey amounts to only an estimate. - photo by Erin O. Smith
While the population of individuals living on the street continues to decline in most counties across Georgia, the proportion of homeless veterans and “chronically” homeless people is climbing, according to initial survey results released this week by the Department of Community Affairs. The survey helps determine federal funding levels for local assistance programs, but there is skepticism among Gainesville’s homeless about whether they will benefit from the results. At least 5,797 people were homeless across 152 of 159 counties in the state, including Hall, in late January when the survey was conducted.