The challenges communities face

Emmaus House serves the residents of Peoplestown and the surrounding neighborhoods of south Atlanta. Peoplestown is a historic community less than one mile south of downtown and the state Capitol, southwest of Grant Park and east of I-75. When Emmaus House was founded in the neighborhood in 1967, the Peoplestown community had suffered significant population loss and disinvestment as a result of urban renewal policies, interstate construction, and white rejection of residential racial integration. Since that time, Peoplestown residents have continued to bear the burden — along with similar urban core neighborhoods — of structural racism and entrenched poverty.

How we address them

New development — particularly the redevelopment of the Turner Field stadium area to the north and the Atlanta BeltLine to the south — will bring both new opportunities and challenges to the Peoplestown community. The promise of jobs and better amenities is only as good as residents’ ability to access them. Therefore, Emmaus House continues to work with neighborhood and city leaders and residents to address the challenges of gentrification and displacement that threaten this historic neighborhood.

Become a Peoplestown Partner

Join a special group of people reaching out each month to provide life-transforming opportunities for children and adults.