Local & Homeless: Coweta’s Safety Net Strains Under Growing Homelessness

On one of the coldest nights of the year, when temperatures dropped into the teens, Coweta County officially counted just 19 homeless people.

Those working closest to the issue say that number isn’t just low—it doesn’t reflect reality.

In Fayette County, there is no housing authority and few organizations dedicated to serving the homeless, as we mentioned in last week’s story.

In neighboring Coweta, there is a system—but even that system isn’t enough.

“The level of mental illness that we’re dealing with now… I just can’t even stress to you the difference from even 10 years ago,” said Jennifer Leebern, Client Services Manager at Bridging the Gap and case manager for ReStart Coweta.

A network Fayette doesn’t have

Coweta’s approach is built on layered support.

Bridging the Gap provides immediate help—hot meals, showers, laundry and food distribution. ReStart Coweta focuses on longer-term solutions, including case management and pathways out of homelessness.

Together, they fill a role that largely does not exist in Fayette.

Leebern works across both organizations, providing case management for Bridging the Gap and ReStart Coweta, often serving as the central point of contact for those seeking help.

“I handle case management for both,” she said. “So when someone comes in and needs more than food or a shower, they come talk to me.”

ReStart Coweta operates The NEST (Newnan Emergency Shelter Team), a warming shelter that opens during the coldest weather—when temperatures drop to 32 degrees or below. The shelter is hosted inside Bridging the Gap, allowing access to showers, laundry and kitchen facilities, and is staffed by volunteers from local churches.

Three different homeless populations

ReStart Executive Director Brooke Baker said the community is not dealing with a single type of homelessness.

Instead, they see three distinct groups:

• Chronic homelessness, often tied to severe mental illness or addiction
• Prevention cases, where people are on the brink of eviction
• Active homelessness, including people living in cars, hotels or unstable conditions

“We’re seeing a huge increase on the prevention side,” Baker said. “People calling saying, ‘I’m about to get evicted in two days.’”

At the same time, schools are identifying growing numbers of families without stable housing.

“About 80% of some school social workers’ caseloads are single, working moms,” Baker said. “They may be in hotels, they may be couch surfing.”

Leebern said the housing situation often traps people.

“You’ve got families living in hotels,” she said. “They’re paying more than a lot of people’s mortgages. But once they’re there, every penny goes to that room. There’s no way to save.”

The numbers don’t add up

The official count of 19 came from the federally required “point-in-time” (PIT) count, conducted on a single night each year.

This year, that count fell during one of the coldest stretches of winter.

“It was about 15 degrees,” Leebern said. “People are not going to be out where you can find them on a night like that.”

Newnan Mayor James Shepherd said the timing alone makes the data unreliable.

“We ended up with a PIT count of 19 people in all of Coweta County, which everyone knows is not accurate,” he said.

The methodology also excludes many people who are still effectively homeless.

Anyone with a roof over their head that night—even in a hotel room or inside a warming shelter like The NEST—is not counted as unsheltered.

That means some of the very people most in need of services are left out entirely.

Based on what local organizations are seeing, Shepherd estimates the true number is far higher.

“I think we’re talking about a couple hundred at a given time,” he said.

A visible—and invisible—population

Law enforcement sees that reality firsthand.

“We have a pretty substantial homeless population,” said Coweta County Sheriff Lenn Wood.

Deputies track camps and try to stay in contact with those living there, noting that most are not committing serious crimes.

“Most of them are working, picking up jobs here and there just to get enough money to buy food,” Wood said.

Nonprofits say many individuals remain outside the system altogether.

“There’s a whole other group out there that we don’t even see,” Leebern said, referring to camps outside the downtown area. “They don’t come in for services.”

When help works—and when it doesn’t

For those willing and able to engage, Coweta’s network can make a life-changing difference.

Baker described a 19-year-old college student who was kicked out of her home with little money and nowhere to go. Within days, she was connected to resources, enrolled at the University of West Georgia and placed in stable housing.

Another woman, living in a tent and recovering from addiction, was placed in a rental home with six months of support—giving her time to return to work and rebuild her life.

Another case required far less—but changed everything.

Leebern recalled an older man who had been staying at The NEST warming shelter and wanted to reconnect with a lifelong friend out of state.

“He just needed to get there,” she said.

After confirming he had a safe place to go, Leebern arranged a bus ticket.

Years later, he still keeps in touch.

“He sends me pictures of his apartment, then his car,” she said. “He messages me every couple of months. It was just something simple, but it was life-changing for him.”

But those outcomes depend on both resources and readiness.

“We want to help everyone,” Baker said. “But we have to ask—are they willing to do what it takes to get out of the situation?”

The biggest gap remains

Even with multiple organizations working together, the system has limits.

“There are resources,” Leebern said. “But they’re maxed out. Completely maxed out.”

Affordable housing is the central challenge.

The Housing Authority has waitlists that can stretch up to two years. Income-based apartments are limited. And for many, the upfront cost of securing housing is out of reach.

“Everything comes back to housing,” Shepherd said.

That pressure exists even for those who are working.

The rise of the “working homeless”—people with jobs who still cannot afford stable housing—is becoming a defining feature of the problem.

A stronger system—but still not enough

Compared to Fayette County, Coweta has built a more comprehensive response.

It has a housing authority. It has nonprofits specifically focused on homelessness. It has a warming shelter. It has coordinated case management.

But even here, the safety net has holes.

“There are just no additional resources,” Leebern said. “That’s the reality.”

And until housing becomes more attainable, those working closest to the issue say the system will remain in a constant state of strain—helping many, but never quite catching up.

How to help

For those working on the front lines, the need is constant—and growing.

Bridging the Gap and ReStart Coweta both rely on community support, whether through donations, volunteer time or spreading awareness.

Bridging the Gap provides food, showers, laundry services and case management. To give or volunteer, visit www.btgcommunity.org or email [email protected].

ReStart Coweta is supported in part by the ReStart Thrift Store, which helps fund its programs and services. Donations, volunteer opportunities and applications for assistance are available through the organization’s Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/restartcoweta

For Leebern, the work comes down to something simple.

“Some people just need someone to walk alongside them for a little while,” she said. “They just need help getting over the hump.”