The power of presence: Housing, healing and second chances

By Women on the Rise Georgia staff

Since 2013, Women on the Rise Georgia has walked alongside formerly incarcerated Black women, listening deeply and building solutions with, not for them. We’ve always known that the journey home is about more than a physical return; it’s about healing, rebuilding and having the resources and relationships to begin again.

Over the years, we’ve watched the housing crisis collide with the reality of reentry. We’ve seen women released from incarceration with nowhere to go, no safety net and little understanding from systems that claim to support them. Through our 100 Women Rising Program, which serves women coming out of the Fulton County Jail, we’ve come to understand just how critical it is to have not only a roof over one’s head—but someone to walk beside you.

Our work is rooted in second chances, and sometimes third or fourth ones. We don’t give up when things get hard. We don’t expect perfection. Instead, we believe in consistency, care and community. Case managers in our program do more than connect women to services—they become thought partners. They help women navigate barriers, name their goals and imagine possibilities. Even when permanent housing isn’t immediately available, having someone by your side to think through next steps changes everything.

The financial challenges that formerly incarcerated people face include legal fines and fees, lack of employment opportunities, limited access to banking and credit and limited access to affordable housing. In addition to directly serving women here in metro Atlanta, Women on the Rise works with organizations across Georgia and the country to advocate for reforms like ending excessive fines and fees for probation and supporting efforts to end cash bail to help address these systemic barriers to financial success.

We’ve learned that financial literacy and support is only one part of the solution. While we can’t pay rent for every woman forever, we can, and do, invest in creative, sustainable pathways. We’ve trained as housing voucher specialists, partnered with second-chance landlords, and built bridges with local agencies. Most importantly, we’ve committed to staying present, especially when our clients stumble. That’s when they need us most.

One woman’s story stands out. After a challenging year filled with ups and downs, she finally secured permanent housing through a voucher program. It didn’t happen overnight. There were setbacks, moments of doubt and time spent doubling up with family. But our team never left her side. We stayed connected, offered guidance and helped her find the option that worked. Today, she has a place of her own—and the dignity that comes with it.

Housing is more than shelter. It is a foundation for freedom. At Women on the Rise, we will continue to advocate, organize and support women as they rise. Not just out of jail, but into the lives they deserve.