Estimate of Atlanta's homeless population rises for second year

Social worker Matthew Reed (right) sits with Sopain Lawson under an I-20 bridge in downtown Atlanta, where Lawson is currently living in a homeless encampment on Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. (Bita Honarvar/WABE)

Atlanta’s homeless population rose for the second year in a row, according to just-released results from the city’s winter census.

The number of those living in shelters or outside was close to 2,900, representing a 7% increase from 2023.

The greatest jump was among those who stayed without any shelter outside, with their numbers rising by a third.