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InTown Cares expands neighborhood case‑manager partnerships, reports early housing placements
Summary
InTown Cares described neighborhood-focused, partnership-based outreach and navigation work across Atlanta, reported two recent permanent housing placements from a new Buckhead partnership and outlined goals for scaling targeted case management in additional districts.
InTown Cares told the Community Development Human Services Committee it is expanding place‑based outreach and case‑management partnerships that enroll people experiencing homelessness and help them move into housing.
Brad Schwierz, executive director of InTown Cares, described a “housing‑first” approach that combines outreach, documentation assistance and navigation, emergency interventions and in‑housing support. He said the group currently has place‑based services in Districts 1, 4, 5 and 6 and is preparing to mobilize in Districts 10 and 11.
Schwierz outlined four funded neighborhood partnerships — Central Outreach and Advocacy Center, Church of the Common Ground, Clifton Sanctuary Ministries and a Buckhead coalition of faith congregations — where InTown Cares embeds a case manager on site. He said the Buckhead partnership, launched in March, regularly engages about 50 people, has enrolled 16 in the program and already placed two people into permanent housing; one individual was reconnected with family abroad.
The committee heard program detail about the Buckhead work: 12 clients were described as “document ready” — meaning they have required identification, Social Security documentation and HUD disability verification forms — and two clients remained in process to secure documents. Schwierz emphasized that referrals alone are not sufficient and said InTown Cares provides warm handoffs to health, behavioral‑health and substance‑use providers and coordinates follow‑up services.
Council members praised the retention of case managers and cited the East Atlanta pilot as a model for targeted local engagement. Committee members asked for coordination on specific encampments and hotspots; Schwierz agreed to follow up with district council offices about targeted outreach near 2636 Veal (sp?) King Jr. Drive and other locations.
Ending: Schwierz asked for continued council support as InTown Cares scales targeted case manager partnerships across additional districts and emphasized that the organization’s neighborhood approach is designed to build trust and move people into permanent housing.
