MACON, Ga. — United Way has hired Reverend Jake Hall as the executive director of its newest initiative, 'United to End Homelessness.'
Hall will lead the effort by working with shelters, community members, agencies, and people who experience homelessness.
Hall said because of economic insecurity, and homelessness is on the rise.
"This is the real result of inflation, and this is the real result of insecurities within our community and gaps with our services to our neighbors," Hall said.
That's where Hall steps in. He plans to analyze the homelessness problem in Central Georgia, suggest solutions, and then implement a strategic plan within the following year.
"This is about not only addressing chronic homelessness but also the kinds of housing insecurity experienced by families," Hall said. "When someone loses a job, and a single mom has to feed kids and find services."
Hall uses the Brookdale resource center as an example because it went from a warming center to a 24/7 resource center.
Alison Bender, the executive director at Brookdale, says they've seen a lot more families experiencing homelessness for the first time.
"Initially, when we started out, it was a lot of individuals, individual women, individual males. But we have seen a larger amount of families moms with families, even fathers with children," Bender said.
Hall looks to provide suitable solutions for different types of homelessness, including creating systems and wrap-around services for those who have immediate needs.
"When you have a family and helping them get transportation from point A to point B, sometimes that can be a challenge for us," Bender said.
Hall hopes to connect the concerns, the strategies, and the resources that make sense for Macon-Bibb. As well as create centralized service points where people can receive care in a unified way.
"Rapid rehousing of vulnerable populations it's about servicing veterans who may experience PTSD and find themselves in a very different place than when they were in service," Hall said.
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