North GA Housing and Homeless Council

10/14/2026

Advent Homeless Offering materials are now available!

If your church has not yet given to this year’s Homeless Offering, Advent is a perfect time to invite your congregation to support the work of the North GA United Methodist Housing & Homeless Council.

You can receive the offering on a single Sunday, each Sunday in Advent, or as a special Christmas Eve offering.

Resources can be downloaded at www.nghhc.org/support-us

09/30/2026

Eviction is one of the clearest on-ramps into homelessness, and the damage often outlasts the loss of the home itself. The state of Georgia has short timelines for eviction and limited protection for tenants. According to a recent article from Fox 5, we are leading the nation in eviction filings.
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/why-metro-atlanta-now-leads-nation-eviction-filings

On September 24, Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Todd Young (R-IN) reintroduced the bipartisan Eviction Crisis Act (S.5535), which would strengthen eviction prevention and provide emergency assistance to renters facing short-term financial crises.

Learn more and take action at: https://www.opportunityhome.org/take-action/the-bipartisan-eviction-crisis-act/

Atlanta metro area landlords filed 144,000 evictions last year, leading the nation in overall filings and eviction rates.

09/30/2026

On Saturday, United Methodists in South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church and North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church took the final step in unification to create the Georgia Annual Conference.

The Housing & Homeless Council is excited to expand our reach alongside the conference. Starting January 1, 2027 we will be the The Georgia United Methodist Housing & Homeless Council. Though we will have a new name, our mission remains the same - to equip local UMCs with resources and funding to help serve neighbors in need.

Stay tuned for more information as our website, socials and email will be changing in 2027.

08/04/2026

Since 1974, St. John Towers has been home for older adults in Augusta who would otherwise have nowhere to go. Today, 230 residents call it home — half of them living on less than $1,000 a month.

When a fire inspection identified noncompliant doors, the safety risk was immediate. We're honored to award a grant to replace those doors and bring the building into full compliance.

Because the people who call this community home deserve to be safe in it.

Learn more: wesleywoods.org/st-john-towers

Full list of 2026 grantees: nghhc.org/2026-grantees

07/27/2026

No appointments. No judgment. No hours to remember. Just food, available whenever someone needs it.

That's the vision behind Red Oak UMC's 24-hour community pantry — a lifeline for more than 100 people, over 70% of whom are experiencing homelessness. But food spoilage in an uncontrolled space had become a real problem.

We're proud to award a grant to replace the current structure with a climate-controlled storage unit that protects the food supply year-round.

Because hunger doesn't keep business hours.

Learn more: redoakumcstockbridge.org

Full list of 2026 grantees: nghhc.org/2026-grantees

07/21/2026

When the commercial freezer at Ousley UMC's food pantry stopped working, it didn't just create an inconvenience. It put every perishable item — and every person who depends on it — at risk.

Ousley's pantry serves more than 3,000 people annually in South DeKalb and Stonecrest. 98% are experiencing homelessness.

We're honored to award a grant to replace both the freezer and refrigerator with commercial-grade units, restoring their capacity to safely store and distribute food with the care their neighbors deserve.

Learn more: ousleychurch.org

Full list of 2026 grantees: nghhc.org/2026-grantees

07/13/2026

Laundry in your own home is more than convenience. It's dignity. It's normalcy. It's a sign that life is moving forward.

HomeStretch serves 95 people across 38 single-family transitional homes -- every one of them a family that experienced homelessness. Their wrap-around services help working families bridge the gap from crisis to stability.

A grant from the Housing and Homeless Council will purchase washers and dryers for those homes, freeing up time and energy so residents can focus on the services that change their lives.

Learn more: homestretch.org

Full list of 2026 grantees: nghhc.org/2026-grantees

07/07/2026

In 2025, The Gateway Center served 4,336 individuals — 30% of them chronically homeless. Eighty-seven percent lived below the poverty line. And The Gateway Center met them with more than a bed: they connected them to a network of 16+ partners to help rebuild stable lives.

We're proud to support The Gateway Center with a Spring Capital Grant to renovate dormitory space and expand bed capacity.

Learn more: gatewayctr.org

Full list of 2026 grantees: nghhc.org/2026-grantees

07/03/2026

On Tuesday, Gainesville First UMC celebrated the dedication of their completed Habitat for Humanity house!

In his blessing of the home, Rev. Jamey Prickett reflected that this project began with generous gifts to the Christmas Eve Offering — a beautiful full-circle moment. At a season when we remember God coming to dwell among us, the people of Gainesville FUMC gave so that a family would have a place to dwell.

NGHHC's Housing and Homeless Grant, awarded this spring, added an outdoor storage unit for the family — the first of its kind in this Hall County Habitat neighborhood. It's a feature the team hopes to bring to more homeowners in the future.

07/01/2026

Our fall grant cycle is now open! If you are a UMC in this conference or are a non-profit that partners with a UMC in this conference and your ministry serves unhoused or low-income neighbors, you may be eligible to apply. Full details can be found on our website nghhc.org/apply-for-a-grant.