During the floods, a swollen Cumberland River washed away a homeless campsite in Nashville known as Tent City. Now, Metro’s Homelessness Commission and housing development agency, MDHA, are trying to keep track of and get shelter for Tent City’s 140 residents.
After the flood, about 100 of the 140 residents ended up at Lipscomb University’s emergency shelter. That shelter closed last week and many were relocated to churches and motels that agreed to a week’s free stay. When that free period ends – as early as tomorrow – motels will offer a reduced rate, but it’s unclear who will want to pay for motels and how long churches will keep their doors open. City Council member Erik Cole is on the homelessness commission.
“Right now our goal would be to get people into supported housing with wrap around services as best we can you know our resources are not that much different that what they were pre-flood.”
MDHA helped 66 residents fill out housing voucher applications. So far only 15 have been approved. There is also an effort underway to find private land Tent City’s former residents could temporarily camp on.
About two dozen former Tent City residents weren’t interested in shelter options and are now either back on the street or staying with friends or relatives.
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