The Brief
- Urban Alchemy employs staff with lived experience, including 96% who were incarcerated and homeless, to connect people with resources and housing through compassion and respect.
- The organization has successfully housed individuals in Atlanta, partnering with nonprofits to provide immediate housing solutions and support.
- A Stanford study indicated a 52% crime reduction in San Francisco areas where Urban Alchemy operates, though critics question the study’s validity.
ATLANTA – Urban Alchemy, a nonprofit that began operating in Atlanta last month, is putting workers with lived experience on city streets to connect people facing homelessness, mental health issues or addiction with resources and housing. The organization says 96% of its employees have been incarcerated and homeless and describes its mission as healing communities through compassion and respect.
What they’re saying:
All day, every day, staff members like Dana Goodwin and Kenneth Franklin fan out to build relationships. “We make it personal. And I think that’s what gets results,” said Kenneth Franklin who has worked for Urban Alchemy for 3 years in other cities. “I was incarcerated for 16 years. Now we’re out here helping the people because we know what it takes to be out here,” said Franklin.…