Students Create Web App to Support DeKalb’s Unhoused Community

A new web-based application is helping unhoused people find shelter, medical care, and other vital resources.

A team of Georgia Tech students recently collaborated with the nonprofit A Home For Everyone In DeKalb to develop a communications tool to assist individuals experiencing homelessness.

The partnership began through the Computer Science Junior Design Capstone program, where students work with clients over two semesters to create minimally viable products.

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“We all met A Home For Everyone In DeKalb and learned about their needs,” said computational science major V Verity, who served as the project manager and connected with the nonprofit’s mission.

“There was a point where I struggled to find a home, food, and community resources, and people helped me out. I wish I were alone in that story, but there are many at and outside of Georgia Tech who relate.”

The student team, led by Verity, Courtney Costley, Jackie Jones, Vijay Shastri, and Chrystabel Sunata, developed a web app to help users locate nearby shelters, food distribution sites, and emergency services.

“The best feature is the map pages,” Verity said. “This map allows admins to put geolocate pins and addresses to show where users can find shelters, warming and cooling centers, transportation, and food.”

The team chose to build a web-based app rather than a downloadable mobile app to remove barriers for users without consistent access to devices or data plans. By using a simple and memorable URL, unhoused patrons can access the resource from shared or public computers at libraries or by borrowing a device in the community.

Gregory White, executive director of A Home For Everyone In DeKalb, emphasized the communication challenges faced by unhoused individuals, especially during emergency weather or the height of the pandemic.

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He has been involved in homelessness advocacy since 1994. The organization was established in 2021 by Rob Johnson and Shelly Fine. White came on board as the executive director in 2025 after retiring from the City of Decatur as the parks and recreation director for 30 years.

“Our first meeting was held in September, and we hit the ground running,” White said. “It was a pleasure to work with the students who were organized and communicated at a high level.”

White noted that the students listened carefully and conducted interviews with unhoused patrons throughout the development process, which helped shape the design of the tool.

Through the app, available at unhousedgeorgians.com, users can find real-time updates on community events, MARTA card distributions, showers, weather forecasts, and more. White has demonstrated the site to about 50 patrons during MARTA card distributions and says the Decatur Library now regularly shares the resource.

“Unhoused patrons have been involved since we started the project, and they’ve shared the web-based app with community friends,” he said. “I have received outstanding feedback from users stating the resource is easy to use and well organized.”

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White praised the students’ efforts and noted the app’s visibility at community fairs, in libraries, and among service providers. The resource was featured at the Decatur First United Methodist Church community fair and has been positively received by the nonprofit’s board of directors.

A Home For Everyone In DeKalb board member and College of Computing Financial Administrator Stacy Waggoner helped introduce the project to Georgia Tech faculty and staff.

“Greg White is a hero to the unhoused in DeKalb. He truly lives and breathes this work,” she said. “We’re grateful to the students for sharing their time to create something so impactful.”

Looking ahead, White hopes the app will serve as both a practical tool and an educational resource for the broader community. He envisions future student involvement expanding to include features such as usage metrics and gaining support from local officials and national organizations.

“I’d like to see this tool spark awareness and understanding about how unhoused patrons have to navigate society,” he said. “Dreaming big, I’d like to share this with outreach groups from the World Cup, NFL, NBA, WNBA, NCAA, MLB, and more.”

Verity echoed the sentiment, urging other students to pursue socially impactful projects.

“Gregory White was a wonderful client. When we were done, it was something we could look back on with pride, that isn’t just a demo of a tech idea but something that is part of the community,” Verity said.

“It’s exciting to make something that you’re proud of.”