A group planning a rural campus for homeless veterans in Chattanooga said it has ruled out use of McDonald Farm at Sale Creek that was bought by the county.
Jeff Shaw, national expansion officer for Frontline Response International, said the group is now working with Congressman Chuck Fleischmann to find a site.
He said, "While our organization was initially interested in McDonald Farm as a potential site for the 100-acre campus, the timing and potential availability of land was not panning out.
“Southeast Tennessee is fortunate to have the leadership of U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann. We are working with his office to determine the best fit for the campus in Tennessee’s 3rd Congressional District.
"The city of Chattanooga was selected for Freedom Homestead for a variety of factors, and we’re optimistic that we’ll find the right property that will allow us to move forward in a timely and efficient manner.”
The Atlanta-headquartered nonprofit said since the Chattanooga region was announced as being selected for the first Freedom Homestead campus, Frontline team members "have been gathering information and reaching out to potential partners for the campus that is slated to open within the next three years."
Mr. Shaw said, “As we’ve met with government officials and service providers throughout Chattanooga and surrounding areas, we’ve been encouraged by the commitment to meeting the needs of individuals in crisis. Because of this, we’ve determined that our presence in Chattanooga will begin with the development of the first Freedom Homestead campus for veterans, particularly those who are unhoused.”
He said HUD’s 2023 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report showed the number of unsheltered veterans experiencing homelessness nationally (estimated to be 15,507 in 2023) was the highest it has been since 2015 (when the estimate was 16,220). He said 98 percent of veterans experiencing homelessness nationally were experiencing it as individuals, which means they were experiencing it alone.
Between 2020 and 2023, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness increased in 22 states. Among those states, the second largest numerical increase was in Tennessee (189 veterans), it was stated.
Between 2022 and 2023, Tennessee had the fourth largest increase in the number of veterans experiencing homelessness at 210, which represented a 38.3 percent increase. Among largely rural continuums of care (CoCs), the Chattanooga/Southeast Tennessee CoC had the highest percentage of veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness (86 percent.
“These are statistics that we simply couldn’t overlook in determining the best path forward in Chattanooga,” Mr. Shaw said. He noted that while Frontline is nationally known for their efforts in human trafficking and homelessness, "there’s a desire and a commitment to providing resources to veterans.
“With over 26,000 veterans in Southeast Tennessee and an active coalition of veteran groups, we believe that our initial focus should be where we can make the most impact, and that’s clearly with veterans experiencing homelessness.”
Mayor Tim Kelly said, “The data being presented by Frontline Response clearly shows what we already know: the rising trend of veteran homelessness is concerning, and we need as many people and partners on board as possible to produce substantive and life-changing results.
"Frontline Response has a proven track record of being a service-gap provider. We welcome their efforts to build their first-ever Freedom Homestead in our region to help us make real progress."
Mr. Shaw pointed to the Chattanooga Area Veterans Coalition as a key ingredient to Frontline’s future success. “Chattanooga is fortunate to have leaders like Capt. (Ret.) Mickey McCamish who has been so generous with his time in assisting us in making valuable connections and championing this work. Over the coming weeks, we will be making major announcements regarding our initial program partners and appointments to Frontline’s national board of directors from the area.”
Mr. McCamish said, “We’ve had some tremendous conversations with potential partners for Freedom Homestead. Each partner is working with their individual boards to enter into MOUs with Frontline Response for Freedom Homestead to lay the groundwork for combined efforts. The Chattanooga Area Veterans Council will be using their significant network and organization memberships to make sure that the campus will be a success.”