Homelessness ticks up in Nashville’s latest count

Nashville’s latest annual census of the city’s unhoused community found 2,180 people in shelters or living unsheltered — in camps or vehicles, or on the streets — on one night in January.

The count is 4% higher than the prior year and slightly above the city average over the past nine years — 2,194 people — according to WPLN News reports.

In contrast, Nashville’s increase in homelessness was substantially below the 18% rise seen nationwide, according to the Office of Homeless Services.

More: When it’s this cold in Nashville, the city opens its emergency shelter. Metro has struggled to find someone to run it.

Each year, more than 100 volunteers canvas the county on one night to create the “point in time” count. Metro officials note that this year’s counting night had below freezing temperatures. Those conditions open additional shelter spaces, which can lead to higher counts.

The city finds that 41% of unsheltered Nashvillians report mental health needs, and 74% report having a disability.

Three years after making camping a felony, Tennessee lawmakers add more homelessness penalties