A fundraising effort that began as a modest $50,000 GoFundMe campaign has grown into a $16.5 million lifeline for renters in Atlanta, where the nonprofit Star-C Program reports it has helped more than 5,500 families remain in their apartments.
The organization was founded by Marjy Stagmeier, an affordable-housing landlord with more than three decades of experience in the apartment industry. Star-C launched its Eviction Relief Fund during the COVID pandemic, and the fund has since expanded its reach across the greater Atlanta community.
Stagmeier said the need extends well beyond job loss. In comments to Good News Network, she explained that renters who are otherwise stable can still face short-term crises, and that rising monthly rents and inflation on household essentials have outpaced wage growth, forcing tenants into difficult choices among food, rent, and utilities.
Research by Stagmeier and her partners into Atlanta's eviction crisis found that missed payments are not solely a matter of insufficient income. She recalled a long-term tenant whose pension check was stolen, describing the prospect of evicting the woman and her grandchildren as senseless. According to Stagmeier, eviction is the default remedy many property owners apply to rent default, yet no party truly benefits from that outcome.
The fund has also responded to sudden, large-scale disruptions. During the federal government shutdown, Star-C provided assistance to Atlanta TSA employees whose paychecks had been suspended.
What began as a single landlord's intervention has since become a platform adopted widely across the region. More than 330 apartment communities, accounting for 64,000 apartment units, have joined the Star-C platform. The organization works with apartment owners who share its commitment to keeping rents within reach for households earning at or below the poverty level, or as much as 80% of area median income.
Beyond rent payments, the Eviction Relief Fund links tenants to a range of supports, including after-school programs, summer camps, medical services, Cub Scouts, playgrounds, and food assistance.
Stagmeier pointed to long-term results from the organization's youth programming. In a 2021 interview with GNN, she said many children who came through the Star-C after-school program have gone on to become doctors, plumbers, and school teachers earning wages that lifted them out of poverty. She also noted that nearly 100 families have moved from renting to home ownership because rents were kept low enough for them to save.
Residents seeking rental assistance should note that Star-C is not currently accepting new applications. The nonprofit stated that it has reached its maximum capacity for the current funding cycle. Those interested in supporting the effort can make a donation through the organization's website.
