Near Bluff View
photo by Jim Ashley
The annual Point-In-Time count of the region’s unsheltered homeless population is complete. The count, which determines allocation of federal funding to homeless service agencies in 11 surrounding counties, revealed a large jump in homeless numbers, notably an 81 percent rise in Hamilton County.
Officials said the specific numbers reflect the unsheltered homeless, defined as those who live in the streets or in makeshift shelters and are not currently in any agency support program.
Bradley County, the second largest city in the region, saw their unsheltered count double in size from last year.
Officials were expecting a rise in homelessness due to the pandemic but claim a rise this high was unexpected.
“These numbers are devastating to see,” Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition Executive Director Wendy Winters said. “This is a huge increase among the most vulnerable of our community members experiencing homelessness. And we believe COVID and the lack of affordable housing in our region are the primary causes for the increase.”
Ms. Winters also said the number of those experiencing chronic homelessness, or those living without shelter for over a year, is higher and she said the psychological effects and emotional turmoil is long-lasting. The rural counties in the region also saw a huge increase, but Ms. Winters said the increase in rural unsheltered numbers are largely attributed to new methods in finding and counting the homeless in these difficult to reach communities.
The CRHC has a new director of system performance, Mike Smith, who brings with him experience in finding and counting the homeless in difficult to reach rural communities. This population has unique needs and its own tragic struggles, officials said.
Ms. Winters said, “These people are living in Third World conditions. Their buildings are barely held together. They are isolated and forgotten. We are now understanding better the face of rural homelessness and it’s heartbreaking.”
In December 2020, the region was awarded a $4.4 million grant from the state of Tennessee to combat homelessness. When these funds are released to the 11 local agencies that have been selected for the funding, officials are confident they will make a direct impact in addressing these rising numbers. “This money will be a game changer,” Ms. Winters said. “Through programs like landlord incentives which offer double deposits, sign-on bonuses and other support services, our community is overdue for this support.”
The Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition serves as the coordinating agency of the Southeast Tennessee’s homeless response system. To learn more about how to support these efforts, please visit homelesscoalition.org
Along the Riverwalk
photo by Jim Ashley