Mayor Ron Littlefield said Tuesday he welcomes recommendations from the homeless committee convened by Councilman Leamon Pierce, but he said fast action is needed on his proposed homeless complex at the former Farmers Market.

The mayor, in a two-page response to the panel, outlined steps he has already taken or plans to implement soon on the thorny issue.

He said the city just gave $250,000 in Community Development Block Grant Money to the Community Kitchen for a drop-in center, respite care facility and 24-hour shelter.

Mayor Littlefield said the Chattanooga Homebuilders Association have offered to build free of charge a new facility for the Interfaith Homeless Network.

He said a transfer and training facility has been proposed and the Chattanooga Housing Authority has been asked to move forward with $600,000 in Federal HOME funds to develop supportive housing for the homeless.

Mayor Littlefield said the community cannot wait until winter to provide adequately for the homeless.

The Pierce committee, that was chaired by Councilwoman Linda Bennett, formally presented its report on Tuesday afternoon before the mayor and council.

Councilman Pierce said the community and council had not been given adequate input on the Farmers Market project and he said it should not go forward "until we have a real plan."

Mayor Littlefield had this response:

Homelessness is a complex problem. The Community Advisory Committee on Homeless Issues – appointed by Councilman Pierce and chaired by Councilwoman Linda Bennett - has come face to face with this troublesome fact and I commend them for accepting this call to address such thorny issues. Thanks to everyone involved for giving time and attention to this great need in our city. Now it is time to more forward.

I am pleased to embrace the findings of the committee and promise to implement their recommendations with speed and determination.

The deadlines in this report suggest urgency and that is certainly required when people's lives are at stake. We agree and will move forward by forming a committee with the charge of creating a more aggressive and comprehensive implementation plan and updating the “Blueprint to End Chronic Homelessness in the Chattanooga Region in 10 Years” as soon as possible. Because the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition, along with the City of Chattanooga, was the impetus for the creation of the existing “Blueprint,” it is only fitting that they coordinate this effort, along with additional representatives to be appointed. Practical approaches for better collaboration and proven results should guide this effort.

In 2004, the” Blueprint” was released after exhaustive community input. Initially, an implementation plan was in place but due to the inability of the newly formed Regional Interagency Council on Homelessness (RIACH) to sustain itself, the responsibility fell to the Regional Homeless Coalition – a network of provider agencies. The Coalition picked up where RIACH left off and has continued to work diligently on the implementation.

Just this past month, the City of Chattanooga allocated $250,000 of Community Development Block Grant money to the Chattanooga Community Kitchen for the Day / Drop-In Center, Respite Care Facility, and a 24-Hour Shelter, all recommendations from the existing “Blueprint” which has been assumed to be the, “comprehensive action plan for homelessness.”

The Interfaith Homeless Network (IHN) has received a special blessing from of the Chattanooga Homebuilders Association. This local trade group has offered to build, free of charge, a new facility for IHN, and provide them with seed money. They have already secured additional support from related suppliers, building industry professionals and labor organizations.

Both the Community Kitchen expansion and the generous offer from the homebuilders for IHN are without significant new investments in homeless initiatives, as this report recommends.

In addition, the South East Tennessee Human Resource Agency or SETHRA, has proposed a Transfer and Training Facility that will be a vital addition to the coordination of services linking those who are homelessness to permanent housing. Again, this can be accomplished without any significant new local public sector investments. SETHRA is federally funded.

Finally, we have asked the Chattanooga Housing Authority to move forward with plans and to publish and distribute a request for proposals for the utilization of $600 thousand in Federal HOME funds to address the much discussed and much needed development of supportive housing. I have also been assured by officials of HUD and Fannie Mae that they are very interested in assisting with our efforts.

I do not believe that it is intended that we delay this committee’s number one recommendation by not allowing the, “upcoming expansion of the Community Kitchen?” As noted, this has been a long standing commitment outlined in the existing “Blueprint”.

Also, given that winter is coming and time is of the essence, I do not think that the committee wishes for us to delay and let yet another family become homeless because of the inability of the Interfaith Homeless Network to expand and provide better access to the complex maze of service providers. Last year, we found families – mostly mothers and children – attempting to live in their cars. We recently were made aware of 17 homeless children in a local elementary school – and those are simply the ones that school administrators know about.

And ultimately, we are presented with a very significant and complimentary transportation opportunity. I do not believe that the committee wishes to prevent SETHRA from providing this significant addition to the regional transportation delivery system which can give homeless individuals access to housing and employment.

We can’t delay any longer and I thank this committee for recommending we move forward and do so with haste.