Homeless Camp Out for Housing

Outside the Metro Council meeting last night, members of Nashville’s homeless community set up tents on the lawn of the public square.

It was an awareness effort by the Nashville Homeless Power Project. The group put out a release this morning that says 16 homeless individuals and advocates were arrested overnight.

The statement comes as Mayor Bill Purcell is scheduled to present his budget proposal to the Metro Council Friday. The Mayor’s Homelessness Commission has recommended a 600-thousand dollar, 50-unit project to provide housing with social services to help people keep their housing.

Carmon Ryals, who’s with the Power Project, says it’s not enough.

“We’ve got people here that work everyday, hard, that, that make money, they just have no where to live because there’s a shortage here in Nashville and they’re homeless and they need a place to live.”

Homeless advocates want the mayor to appropriate 2-point-3 million dollars for a 200-unit project. Ryals says the homeless community will continue to hold educational events on the subject all week.