Adapted from Commissioner Terry’s newsletter sent on February 20, 2026.
Last week I had the honor of participating in the DeKalb County Point-in-Time Homeless count. Several volunteers, the Community Development Department, and myself travelled across DeKalb County during the late hours of the night to better understand how many people may be experiencing homelessness throughout the county.
Each year I participate, I am incredibly moved. To hear everyone’s unique story, it truly is a reminder that if I were in their shoes, experienced what they have experienced, I may be in their same situation. We all may be.
The yearly counts are crucial not only to gather a better understanding of people’s lived experiences that can inform solutions, but to also share opportunities for relief in the moment.
But homelessness can look different for everyone, including families living in Extended Stay Hotels and Motels who often do not get counted through this process.
In 2025, I was proud to appropriate district funding, alongside District 2 Commissioner Long Spears and District 1 Commissioner Patrick, to support a comprehensive, county wide enumeration and assessment of everyone living in DeKalb County hotels, motels, and extended stays. This was imperative to quantifying the magnitude of families and children that were not included in the annual unhoused count that only enumerates those in shelters, living in cars, or the streets. This new data verified that over 700 families, 1,600+ children were living in substandard and unsafe conditions. You can watch the full presentation by clicking here. (Please know: this link takes you to the beginning of the presentation during the 1/6/2026 Committee of the Whole meeting which is about an hour and 43 minutes into the entire meeting.)
I’ve had the opportunity to visit one of these motels and listen to theses families’ stories. I heard often, and the data from the study agrees, that evictions were one of the main contributing factors that brought them to their current situation.
One of my biggest take aways from both counts? DeKalb County needs more long term supportive, transitional, housing options that include wrap around services allowing individuals to get the help they need to get back on their feet.
Thoughtfulness in 2022 Leading to Solutions in 2025: Park 500
The housing and homelessness crisis is not new to DeKalb County and is not a challenge we face alone. It is a national crisis that no single commissioner or local government can solve in isolation.
The moment we are in today has been building for years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of families were met with uncertainty, rising costs, layoffs, leading many to evictions.
Thankfully, DeKalb County was able to assist with relief before many reached the point of eviction in the form of Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funds, provided by the federal government to assist residents with rent. But while these funds were crucial to get people to the next step, we couldn’t lose site of the bigger picture and the overall lack of affordable, supportive housing options in DeKalb County.
In 2022, I advocated for $5 million ERA funds to be set aside in a reserve line item for future appropriations under the ERA program guidelines. In 2025, that future appropriation came. The Board of Commissioners approved $8 million for Park 500, a one of a kind investment for families in DeKalb that includes onsite wraparound services such as case management, job support, healthcare access, and childcare coordination. This insight in 2022 proved pivotal as Park 500 was only made possible with that $5 million set aside.
Park 500 allows DeKalb County to remove some of the most common barriers families face when trying to exit homelessness, while also helping address a nationwide challenge: limited housing stock. I truly believe this solution will have positive ripple effects throughout our community for generations.
Ted