Mayor Andre Dickens and other city officials opened The Melody on Friday, 40 units of transitional housing made from shipping containers on public land in downtown Atlanta.
Located at 184 Forsyth Street, the complex is named for Melody Bloodworth — a homeless woman with mental illness who died on Atlanta’s streets in November 2022.
Cathryn Vassell, CEO of Partners for HOME, said many people knew Bloodworth from seeing her each day lying in front of the downtown Walgreens. She had multiple mental and physical health issues that made it difficult to connect her with all the services she needed, Vassell said. Eventually she was placed in a DeKalb County medical facility, but soon left that for the familiar streets of downtown Atlanta — where she died, shortly before her 40th birthday, Vassell said.
“We couldn’t find the right housing solution for Melody,” Vassell said.
The new development is designed with people like Bloodworth in mind, providing safe and stable housing along with on-site access to wraparound services, including a four-person staff.
As part of the opening ceremony, Vassell presented Bloodworth’s family with a metal plaque that will be installed on the site, commemorating Melody Bloodworth.
Credit: Jim Gaines
Credit: Jim Gaines
The nonprofit Partners for HOME is the lead agency through which Atlanta coordinates its efforts to end homelessness.
The Melody will soon have a duplicate on Northside Drive, close to the city’s water reservoir, Dickens announced. He expects to start talking to adjacent landowners in the next few weeks.
Dickens said he’s committed to producing 500 units of such “rapid housing” to be placed on publicly-owned land throughout the city. He asked residents across Atlanta to join in supporting the effort: such developments wouldn’t be adding new residents to their neighborhoods, but simply providing decent housing and service access for people who are already there in parks, on the streets or under bridges, he said.
Dickens thanked a long list of partners for their “unprecedented speed” in putting The Melody together in only four months. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency donated a dozen metal shipping containers, which had been used as medical units, and they were placed on a former city parking lot.
Now the containers, refurbished as small but complete apartments and painted in a tan and gray-green color scheme, occupy the lot across from the Garnett MARTA station and within sight of the state capitol’s golden dome.
“Currently 22 people have applied and been approved,” Dickens said. The first few are expected to move in Feb. 1. Thirty-two units meet access standards for people with disabilities, he said.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Access to the community is controlled, with many cameras on site and a constant police presence, Dickens said. But residents will also have amenities such as a dog park, community spaces and freshly planted trees, he said.
The Melody is intended as a steppingstone to permanent housing, with all residents having personal case management and access to support services, Dickens said.
Vassell said cost for the development came in close to $5 million.
Atlanta is putting millions more into providing permanent residences, and access to multiple services, for its homeless population, Dickens said.
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