Addiction treatment. Mental health services. Career help. All will be available on-site at Strobel House — Nashville’s new permanent supportive housing development, which opened its doors Thursday.
The facility, which will help people experiencing homelessness, is the first-of-its kind for the Metro government.
“People experiencing homelessness deserve to experience the type of love that goes to battle alongside them, not against them,” said Jaha Martin, chairperson of the Homelessness Planning Council, at the facility’s ribbon-cutting. “It is through these types of endeavors that our city will effectively end this trauma of homelessness.”
Cynthia Abrams WPLN NewsAttendees of the Strobel House opening walk through the furnished studios. Residents will begin moving in in the coming weeks.
As the Strobel House opened its doors hundreds flooded in to peek into the $35 million development, walking through balloon-filled hallways to tour 90 furnished studios.
Half of the rooms are reserved for people experiencing chronic homelessness — that is, one year or longer — while the other half will be made available to unhoused veterans, young adults, and LGBTQ+ individuals. In addition to the studios, there are also amenities like laundry, a computer lab and a lactation room.
Metro has outsourced management operations to Depaul USA, a homeless services nonprofit organization that operates in 12 cities. Depaul will help provide the support services (like medical aid, mental health support, addiction treatment, veterans benefits) on-site.
Cynthia Abrams WPLN NewsStrobel House is named for Father Charles Strobel, founder of Room in the Inn shelter.
The downtown complex is named for Father Charles Strobel, who died last year. Strobel was the founder of one of Nashville’s most well-known shelters, Room In the Inn.
Up until this point, much of the city’s approach to homelessness has been about short-term support, like emergency weather shelters or temporary housing at the Rescue Mission. So, for some, the new effort feels personal.
Walking room-to-room, Liz Mallard, who serves on the Homelessness Planning Council, became emotional. She’s been in stable housing for three years now, after experiencing homelessness for more than a decade.
“It makes me cry because it’s full circle,” Mallard said.
Mallard said when experiencing homelessness, it can be hard to focus on anything else. Seeing the city follow through on the permanent solution, she said, is an indication of real progress.
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