This study, funded as part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Systems for Action research program, evaluates the feasibility of a multi-sector “Functional Zero” approach to reducing homelessness among fathers in Atlanta, with a focus on Black fathers who are disproportionately represented among homeless populations. The study builds from an existing multi-sector coalition of leaders from medical, social and public health sectors who have formed Fathers Matter ATL to address the unmet health and social needs of homeless fathers, including forms of structural racism that limit the availability of housing options for homeless men with dependent children. The study uses qualitative interviews with service providers together with data from a service referral tracking database and the results of system mapping analyses to identify barriers and opportunities for achieving “Functional Zero” in the incidence of homelessness among the target population of fathers experiencing housing insecurity. The study is conducted by the Morehouse School of Medicine in collaboration with Redemption and Advancement Alliance, Morehouse Healthcare, Good Samaritan Health Center, DeKalb County Board of Health, and the Atlanta Housing Authority.

Principal Investigator: 
Latrice Rollins, PhD, MSW
Assistant Professor, Morehouse School of Medicine

Co-Investigators: 
Lease Youmans

Thomas C. Cotton III, MA
Founder and CEO, Redemption & Advancement Alliance

Project Details:

Year: 2023
Funding Amount: $100,000
Status: Active