Homeless Coalition Outreach worker
TThe Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition said it has provided safe, temporary shelter in an undisclosed hotel for 21 of 50 people who were removed from a homeless camp on Workman Road on Sept. 29.
The group said the remainder scattered when police unexpectedly appeared during the displacement.
Executive Director of the CRHC Wendy Winters said she is "glad that we had the resources available to provide shelter and comfort in a time of crisis. This was the only home some camp residents have known for a decade or more.
They had intricate structures with curtains up, pictures on the wall, and wood-burning stoves, and it was all taken from them suddenly. The devastation looks like the aftermath of a major natural disaster, and the fact that it didn’t have to occur the way it did makes it even more heartbreaking."
She added, "Everyone at the hotel is being taken care of with the help of CRHC’s many partners from the local homeless response system. Outreach workers are also working hard to find and assess the needs of those that are still displaced."
The property owner is Walter A. Wood Supply Company. Officials said they had earlier told the residents that the property was needed for other use.
The Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition serves as the coordinating agency of Southeast Tennessee’s homeless response system.
Workman Road homeless camp