Micro communities for the homeless sprout in US cities eager for small, quick and cheap solutions

By R.J. RICO and JESSE BEDAYN
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — In downtown Atlanta, shipping containers have been transformed into an oasis for dozens of previously unsheltered people who now proudly call a former parking lot home. It’s just one example of micro communities that have been popping up across the U.S. In Denver, 1,500 people have been moved indoors through that city’s own micro community program. Faced with years of rising homelessness rates and failed solutions, city officials across the U.S. have been embracing rapid housing options emphasizing three factors: small, quick and cheap. Officials believe that micro communities, unlike shelters, offer residents stability that, when combined with wraparound services, can more effectively put them on the path to secure housing.