Atlanta Emerging Markets, Inc. (AEMI) has awarded $15 million in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation to the Salvation Army’s HOPE with Dignity campaign. This award is in addition to a $2 million Westside Tax Allocation District (TAD) Ascension Fund Grant previously approved by the Invest Atlanta Board.

The AEMI NMTC transaction will support the construction of a five-story, 53,000-square-foot addition to expand the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Shelter on Marietta Street. The building will include an emergency shelter with 230 beds, along with a dedicated Education and Workforce Development Center, medical exam rooms, laundry facilities and common areas.

The NMTC-financed project is the first phase of a broader campus redevelopment that will include extensive renovations to the existing 46,000-square-foot homeless shelter to improve sleeping areas, case management and kitchen/dining space.

The project will allow the Salvation Army to provide shelter to more than 2,000 men, women and children experiencing homelessness annually and will create emergency shelter space with 230 beds across four floors.

The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Services Emergency and Transitional Housing Facility is one of the largest shelters for individuals experiencing homelessness in Atlanta, delivering emergency assistance, residential treatment and rehousing programs. Red Shield received a Gold Certification for its programs, making it the highest-rated Salvation Army shelter in the Southern Territory.

Founded in 1890, the Salvation Army of Metro Atlanta is a financially independent chapter with 17 locations across a 13-county footprint in Northeast Georgia. The organization provides a range of programming focused on homelessness services, youth enrichment and anti-trafficking programs.