NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – While most were sleeping, Nashville’s plan to address homelessness took a giant step forward.
Metro council approved the mayor’s plan during Tuesday’s council meeting, which actually ran until about 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
The plan proposed half of the $50 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan be directed to the housing authority. They would then distribute low-cost loans for affordable housing.
Mayor Cooper released a statement following the plan being approved:
“I am grateful to Council for overwhelmingly approving my $50 million plan to get our most vulnerable off the streets and into the stable housing. Homelessness is a decades-old challenge for Nashville, and I believe the size, scope and sophistication of this plan meets the magnitude of the problem.
We have worked closely with national experts to carefully design a strategy based on a proven model that ramps up our ability to provide temporary housing, creates permanent supportive housing, and provides services like mental health care and addiction counseling to keep folks housed and safe.
I want to thank the Homelessness Planning Council and the dozens of non-profit and community organizations throughout the city for their tireless work that has led us to this point. This is an enormous step for Nashville in our shared goal of becoming a city that works for every resident in every neighborhood.”
Mayor John Cooper
⏩ Read today’s top stories on wkrn.com
Mayor Cooper will be joined by members of Metro Council, Metro Homelessness Impact Division, Continuum of Care Homelessness Planning Council, and community partners to sign the bill into effect at 10 a.m. Wednesday morning.
