In four months, a nondescript city parking lot became the City of Atlanta’s first Rapid Housing project. The 40-unit multifamily community is part of Mayor Andre Dickens’s plan to create 500 housing units for the city’s homeless by 2025.

The gated micro community known as “The Melody” no longer looks like a parking lot. Artificial turf is spread across the asphalt. There are potted plants and red Adirondack chairs, and even a dog park. It is the fastest fully permanent multifamily project in the city’s history.

“The Melody was actually named after one of our participants,” said Leni Garner, care navigator supervisor for the Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative. “Her name was Melody [Bloodworth] and she passed away on the corner across the street from a fentanyl overdose. And one of our people that went to work on that project asked they name it after her, kind of as dedication, but also because if she had housing like The Melody, maybe she wouldn’t have died on the street.”

The shipping containers have been turned into 40 insulated studio apartments that include a single bed, HVAC unit, desk, microwave, small refrigerator, TV, sink and bathroom. The community includes a communal garden, dog park, and gathering spaces including a community area equipped with a kitchenette, offices, and laundry facilities. Residents moved in on February 6th.