photo by Rachael Price
Chief of Staff for the city of Chattanooga Joda Thongnopnua on Wednesday night initiated a free-flowing conversation around the Airport Inn plans of development and conversion at a roundtable discussion at the Shepherd Community Center.
Members of Mayor Tim Kelly’s team gathered for dialogue with community members regarding the motel that sits within District 6. The property was bought last year by the city in efforts to create a revitalized complex to serve homeless Chattanoogans with permanent supportive housing.
“The goal of permanent supportive housing is to retain those who have come off the streets, keeping them off for good,” said Mr. Thongnopnua. Supportive services are a top concern in the discussion of the development and is recognized as a priority in the goals of keeping people off the streets. He said, “We really try and work with the individual to see how far they can go, and I think that’s why maximizing the number of people we're able to graduate from these programs and offering that long-term support will make us successful.”
Councilwoman Carol Berz of District 6 spoke to the group about concerns, goals, and ideas structuring the facility and greater region.
She reiterated to the community members how this cannot turn into another Budetel Inn situation.
The Kelly administration acknowledges the shelter-driven approach is, and has been historically, a failure, it was stated. Avoiding the shelter-driven approach contrasts the efforts of permanency being taken by offering permanent supportive housing and seeking to find long-term solutions.
This integrality of on-site services, including 24/7 on-site security, and workplace development and mental health services, will provide roughly 70 people with a roof over their head and a safe community to reside, it was stated.
Main concerns of the community in attendance revolved around a myriad of key issues stemming from a clear motivation of addressing root cause. Interests regarding transportation, access to fresh groceries and other facets of independent action, as well as a definition of success in regard to homelessness, were subject to the public query.
Director of System Performance Kacy West of the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition spoke to her knowledge of systems already set in place that can help deter relapse back onto the streets and facilitate community knowledge on the subject. Rapid rehousing and other avenues continue to prove that supportive housing helps people move onto self-sufficiency, she said.
Recent transplant to Chattanooga, Marcelle, shared insights from her former home of California, and how she fears a copy-and-paste band-aid to homelessness approach. “How are we defining success? Success cannot be defined as ‘Well, they have a roof over their head.’ It has to be much more than that,” said Marcelle.
Communal contribution fuels the success of their strategy using data research to find solutions that have substantial success in solving homelessness, it was stated.
More public community meetings and forums will be held by the city of Chattanooga starting in the new year.