Atlanta landlord's $50K GoFundMe grew into $16.5M eviction relief fund for 5,500 families

When Atlanta affordable-housing landlord Marjy Stagmeier launched a GoFundMe campaign to help renters who couldn't pay during the COVID-19 pandemic, she set a goal of $50,000. That campaign has since grown into a $16.5 million eviction relief fund that has kept more than 5,500 families in their homes — and reshaped how more than 330 apartment communities across greater Atlanta think about rent default.

Stagmeier's nonprofit, the Star-C Program, operates on a straightforward premise: most renters who fall behind are not chronic non-payers, but people hit by a temporary crisis — a stolen pension check, a government shutdown, a medical bill — who need a bridge, not an eviction notice. With over 30 years of experience as an apartment landlord, Stagmeier built a model that pairs emergency rent payments with longer-term wraparound services, then persuaded other landlords to adopt it.

Many renters are stable residents, but they can experience temporary challenges and can't pay rent.— Marjy Stagmeier, Founder, Star-C Program

While the eviction assistance during COVID was helpful, monthly rent increases and inflation on household essentials have outpaced salary increases, creating a financial burden on tenants who are now making tough choices between food, rent, and utilities.— Marjy Stagmeier, Founder, Star-C Program

Stagmeier and her partners studied Atlanta's eviction crisis and concluded that non-payment is not simply an income problem. The cases that shaped the program's philosophy are telling: a long-term tenant whose pension check was stolen, federal TSA employees in Atlanta who went without paychecks during a government shutdown. In both situations, Star-C stepped in with rental assistance rather than allowing eviction proceedings to begin.

In one instance, we had a long-term legacy tenant, and her pension check was stolen. Evicting her and her grandchildren made no sense, but eviction is the mindset of many property owners to cure rent default. But no one 'wins' in those scenarios.— Marjy Stagmeier, Founder, Star-C Program

That intervention model has since been rolled out across the broader Atlanta community. To date, over 330 apartment communities representing 64,000 units have signed onto the Star-C platform. Partner landlords commit to keeping rents affordable for households earning at or below the poverty level, or up to 80% of the area median income.

The fund's reach extends beyond rent checks. Star-C connects tenants with after-school programs, summer camps, medical services, Cub Scouts, playgrounds, and food assistance. Stagmeier told Good News Network in 2021 that nearly 100 families had moved from renting to homeownership because the program kept rents low enough for them to save.

Many children have come through the Star-C after-school program, who are now doctors, plumbers, and school teachers, earning good wages that moved them out of poverty.— Marjy Stagmeier, Founder, Star-C Program

One immediate caveat for renters seeking help: Star-C is not currently accepting new rental assistance applications. The organization says it has reached maximum capacity for its current funding cycle, according to Good News Network. Donations to the fund remain open on the nonprofit's website.

Why it matters — As rising rents and inflation squeeze low-income households nationwide, Star-C's landlord-led, community-funded model offers a replicable alternative to eviction that keeps families stable and costs less — socially and financially — than displacement.

Reported by goodnewsnetwork.org, dailywise.com, ground.news