Fresh Start Final Results

Nearly 17,000 Georgia families received financial assistance, totaling $20.5 million through the Georgia Fresh Start initiative, led by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta. View the Final Report Executive Summary and explore how this statewide effort helped thousands of families through this interactive map.

Georgia Fresh Start program funds are exhausted

September 30 marked the official end of the Georgia Fresh Start program, led by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta. This statewide initiative provided up to $3,000 of one-time crisis financial assistance for past due housing and utility bills. Last year in Georgia, more than 1.2 million families experienced financial hardship.

The budget for the Fresh Start program, originally projected at $10 million, doubled to more than $20 million due to the overwhelming need in Georgia. As of November 15, nearly 17,000 Georgia families received emergency financial assistance, totaling $20.5 million. The average Fresh Start assistance payment was $1,300 and the top three needs were rent, mortgage and electricity. We knew that demand for the program would be high considering the unemployment and home foreclosure rates; however, the magnitude of calls and requests for assistance (nearly 60,000 in less than five months) at times overwhelmed many of our partner nonprofits.

While thousands of families were helped by the Fresh Start program, it has equally shone a glaring light on the extraordinary degree of need plaguing our community. Unfortunately, demand for the program far exceeded available resources making it impossible to provide assistance for everyone.

Although families have expressed gratitude for the assistance they received through Fresh Start, our hearts go out to the families who are receiving denial letters informing them that they were not able to receive assistance due to ineligibility, late applications or funding being exhausted. It’s estimated that fewer than 1,000 applications were denied, because of ineligibility or lack of funds. Unfortunately, denials cannot be overturned: there is simply no additional money available through the Fresh Start program.

For alternative assistance, individuals can contact their local 2-1-1 or their Community Action agency, as well as contact the Department of Family & Children Services at 1.800.869.1150 to determine eligibility for DHS services (i.e., TANF, Medicaid, Food Stamps, child care subsidies,
etc.).