Historic Odd Fellows Building reborn as transitional housing hub
The hallways and rooms of the historic Odd Fellows Building nestled in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood were once a hub for Black businesses and social life in the early 20th century.
But on Wednesday, it began a new chapter as a center of stability and opportunity for 160 men struggling to exit the criminal justice system or break a cycle of homelessness.
The 112-year-old building is now the new home to Georgia Works — a nonprofit that helps Atlantans get off the streets and into job opportunities.
The major conversion project was a partnership between both the city and the state. Georgia Works purchased the tower portion of the building in 2023 with a $5 million grant from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.
Recently, Gov. Brian Kemp announced $50 million in the budget to go toward helping cities combat homelessness — a request that surprised local officials who are unaccustomed to Republican leadership elevating street-level homelessness as a priority.
The Republican governor stood alongside Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens at the new Georgia Works facility’s grand opening on Wednesday, hailing the project as a success story of state and local collaboration.
“What we’re trying to do at the state level — and I know it’s something the mayor feels very passionate about — is helping people receive the care that they need and support to chart a new path so that they can be successful,” Kemp said.
It’s good news for Dickens, whose administration must find new ways of fulfilling his lofty affordable housing goals without federal support. Last year when local governments feared a federal funding freeze, the mayor’s office estimated Atlanta could lose $1.4 billion, with housing and infrastructure hurt the worst.
The Odd Fellow Building project is also an example of Dickens’ targeted effort to revitalize underserved neighborhoods like downtown and Atlanta’s south and west sides. The building sits just over a half mile from the city’s first municipal grocery store — Azalea Fresh Market — and is near the old Atlanta Constitution Building that’s being reimagined as affordable housing.
“Today, we celebrate (the building’s) new purpose — one that’s just as important to Atlanta’s future as it’s been important to Atlanta’s past,” Dickens said, adding that the new residents will not only be housed but also connected to workforce opportunities.
“The nation is having a homelessness crisis,” he said. “And what we’re doing here is moving the needle.”
Georgia Works’ previous headquarters was at the Gateway Center, where participants live in converted jail facilities. The Odd Fellows Building drastically increases the number of men the nonprofit can serve — up to 164 people at a time. Program members receive free room and board for up to one year while they work a transitional job. They can also access case managers, workforce training, wellness, financial and GED classes.
Advocates say these programs are necessary to get residents off Atlanta streets and keep them housed. Bill McGahan, founder of Georgia Works, said the challenge of navigating complicated systems often push Atlantans facing homelessness away from the help they need.
“What Georgia Works does is it puts that all under one roof,” McGahan said.
The mayor’s office and Atlanta City Council members have poured funds toward addressing the issue of homelessness over the past few years, including committing $60 million in public funding to help reach Dickens’ lofty goal of creating or preserving 20,000 units of affordable housing by 2030.
It also may be the biggest challenge the city faces as it prepares to host eight FIFA World Cup games this summer.
“I can’t tell you what it means that we’re sitting here humanizing homelessness,” Council member Liliana Bakhtiari, who represents the area, said.
“And in a time of intense polarization, I am so excited and honored that the state, the city, all these partners came together,” she said. “It shows that government works.”
About the Author
Riley Bunch is a reporter on the local government team at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution covering Atlanta City Hall. She covers the mayor and Atlanta City Council while also keeping an eye on the city’s diverse neighborhoods.
