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Reducing unsheltered homelessness in Hamilton County

The Kelly Administration announced how they have made significant strides to aiding those facing homelessness in Hamilton County. | Photo by NOOGAtoday

The Kelly Administration, with the help of state-wide + local organizations, recently announced they have reduced the number of those facing unsheltered homelessness in Hamilton County by ~40% in 2022 — a record-breaking progress.

In 2021, Hamilton County saw a spike in residents facing homelessness by 200% — leading the administration to announce a plan of action as part of the One Chattanooga Plan.

NOOGA.homelessnessgraph1 — This graph breaks down the steps made to reduce numbers by ~40%.
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Graphic provided by The Kelly Administration

The city has focused on a housing-first strategy to combat this issue. This has allowed the Office of Homelessness and Supportive Housing to rapidly rehouse more than 1,000 people in 2022 — roughly ~three folks a day.

Three main contributing factors

Federal HOME American Rescue Plan dollars | Deployed by HUD, the city was able to cover move-in costs + rent for residents until housing vouchers were obtained.
HUD’s Emergency Housing Voucher program | The Chattanooga Housing Authority reserved vouchers for individuals + families at risk or facing homelessness.
Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition | Local service providers, landlords, and nonprofits worked together to provide care with funding from the city.

There are also efforts to build more affordable housing, which is currently at ~115 units. With the help of the AIM Center + the conversion of the former Airport Inn, 133 more units will become available over the next two years.

Note: Efforts through programs like the Eviction Prevention + Diversion Initiatives have prevented ~600 at-risk residents from losing housing since its establishment. See a full breakdown of this data.

The city will continue to focus on building + strengthening partnerships within the city by working with the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition, local landlords to obtain more affordable units, and more.

“This is the system working to make real, meaningful change in our community, one precious life at a time. But we’re not stopping here. Even one Chattanoogan without a safe place to call home is one too many.” — Mayor Tim Kelly

Events

Today, April 13

Spring Workshop: Gardening for Pollinators | Thursday, Apr. 13 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Outdoor Chattanooga, 200 River St., Chattanooga | Free, RSVP | Join Sara Horne of Pretty Wild for a discussion on the benefits of pollinating insects for both our home and regional landscapes.
Road to Nightfall | Thursday, Apr. 13-Friday, Apr. 14 | 7-11 p.m. | Granfalloon, 400 E. Main St., Chattanooga | $10 | Support the Road to Nightfall bands battle it out in the preliminary rounds.
Spring Carnival at Northgate Mall | Thursday, April 13-Sunday, April 23 | Times vary | Northgate Mall, 271 Northgate Mall, Chattanooga | $1.25-$50 | Come out to enjoy rides, games, and food for the whole family.
BLAH BLAH BLAH: Artist Talks April | Thursday, Apr. 13 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Stove Works, 1250 E. 13th St., Chattanooga | Free | Get to know the Stove Works’ April artists + all about their practices.

Friday, April 14

SouthWord Literary Festival | Friday, Apr. 14-Saturday, Apr. 15 | 12-6 p.m. | Chattanooga Convention Center, 1 Carter St., Chattanooga | $45-$95 | Come out for the 40th literary festival featuring author talks, book signings, and plenty of books for sale.
Fireworks Friday: Lookouts vs. Braves | Friday, Apr. 14 | 7:15-11:30 p.m. | AT&T Field, 201 Power Alley, Chattanooga | $8-$11 | Watch the Lookouts take on the Braves and enjoy a fireworks show after the game.

Saturday, April 15

Creekside Flower Farm Spring Plant Sale | Saturday, Apr. 15 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m. | Creekside Flower Farm, 5549 North Marble Top Rd., Chickamauga | $7-$10 | This spring plant sale will also feature a vendor market and live music — entrance is free when you pre-order a plant online.
Pickup for a Pint - Litter Cleanup | Saturday, Apr. 15 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Wanderlinger Brewing Co., 1208 King St., Chattanooga | Free, RSVP | Give back to your community by picking up trash + then enjoying a pint on the house.

Sunday, April 16

The Walnut Street Bridge Festival | Sunday, Apr. 16 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | The Walnut Street Bridge, 1 Walnut St., Chattanooga | Free+ | Shop from local business vendors, enjoy great food + live music, and more at this festival.
She Bop “Garden Party” Market | Sunday, Apr. 16 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Common House, 1517 Mitchell Ave., Chattanooga | Free+ | Shop from 15 local artists + makers, participate in a clothing swap, listen to live poetry readings, and more.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Civic

District 7 City Councilwoman Raquetta Dotley was elected by the Chattanooga City Council to serve as council chair. District 2 City Councilwoman Jenny Hill was also elected to serve as vice-chair. (NewsChannel 9)
Mayor Tim Kelly recently appointed Ross Pitcairn as Chattanooga’s new administrator for the Department of Public Works, effective June 16. Pitcairn served as a commissioned officer + engineer with the US Navy for more than 20 years. (Local 3)

Development

TPC Printing & Packaging — a 99-year-old business that specializes in printing + folding containers for a wide array of companies — recently announced plans for a $21 million expansion. The expansion will add 90+ jobs and a new 60,000-sqft building in East Ridge.

Sports

Urban League of Greater Chattanooga will be the Chattanooga Lookouts’ community partner for its upcoming Jackie Robinson Day celebration on Saturday, April 15. Attendees will get information about the resources and initiatives the organization offers.

Environment

Sunrise Movement Chattanooga will host Chattanooga’s first-ever Zero Waste Festival at Stove Works on Saturday, April 15. Attendees are encouraged to bring plants, seeds + clothes for swaps. Check out the full lineup.
Tennessee American Water’s annual Water Quality Reports are available for customers to view. The reports include information on local drinking water sources, summaries of the laboratory tests conducted, and more. Pro tip: search the reports by your zip code.

Outdoors

The Chattanooga Parks & Outdoors Department will break ground on Lynnbrook Park (1500 Lynnbrook Ave.) on Monday, April 17. The community is invited to attend the event beginning at 10 a.m.

Ranked

Chattanooga businesses Text Request, Workhound + Market Street Partners each appeared in the Financial Times’ top 500 list of fastest-growing companies for 2023. The list is based on revenue growth from 2018 to 2021. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

Community

Nominations are now open for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga’s City of Potential Awards. Nominate individuals or organizations who are creating opportunities + impacting lives through mentoring engagement by Monday, May 29.

Try This

Looking to flex your creative muscles? There’s still time to submit to our poetry contest. Using our Wednesday, April 5 newsletter as your word bank, craft a 75-word or less poem. Finalists will be selected based on criteria including originality + creativity — show us what you got by Sunday, April 16.

Featured Job

Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors is hiring part time lifeguards for the summer. Noogans not yet certified or who need a refresher course are still encouraged to apply. Pay starts at $15.45/hour with up to 40 hours a week, plus flexible hours, time off, and chance to work on your tan. Learn more.*

Travel

What trip would be worth leaving Chattanooga? For City Editor Haley, it’s Greece — to volunteer to protect baby sea turtles. Sign up for Going to get notified when flight prices drop, like a $460 flight to Athens (a real deal booked by a member). Join for free.

Play

🚗 Get in, we’re going to Ellijay, GA

The ultimate road trip to Ellijay, GA

Ellijay, GA is just 54 miles from the Scenic City. | Photo by @pickellijay

In need of a little change in scenery? Take a road trip to Ellijay, GA — after all, it’s only ~1.5 hours away. To help you out, we’ve put together a guide featuring all of the must-do experiences, what to eat, and where to stay. Here are some of the highlights:

🎟️ Experience — B.J. Reece Orchards | See why they call Ellijay the Apple Capital of Georgia at this U-pick family-operated orchard.
🍔 Eat — The Roof Ellijay | Have great views alongside food inspired by the Appalachia culture.
🏨 Stay — Ellijay River House Bed & Breakfast | Stay in this 1915 Craftsman home that is right downtown

In case you have road trip fever, Helen, GA is another destination City Editor Haley really loves and is only ~2.5 hours away. Oktoberfest will make it worth your while.

Do you prefer your road trip travel time to be 1-2 hours, or 4+ hours? Let us know.

Read the complete guide

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Haley Bartlett

From the editor

I had so much fun writing about a trip that I’ll be hitting the road myself to Ellijay, GA next weekend for a cabin stay for my anniversary — I might even go on my own winery tour.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? I heard the bird is the word.

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