Chattanooga officials clear homeless encampment on city property
Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ Brittney Gravitt, one of the first residents of a homeless camp near Brainerd Road, stands in her camp on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. The camp was set to be cleared out by the Chattanooga Police Department the following day. Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ Brittney Gravitt, one of the first residents of a homeless camp near Brainerd Road, stands in her camp on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. The camp was set to be cleared out by the Chattanooga Police Department the following day.
By Siena Duncan 10 min read
Chattanooga city staffers rolled bikes laden with bags full of food, water, tarps and rolls of quarters through a muddied, well-worn path into the woods on Friday.
When they arrived, a crowd of over a dozen people greeted them — the residents of a homeless encampment off of Brainerd Road. The city’s known of the camp for a couple of years now, according to Andy Ramirez, one of the city’s homeless outreach coordinators. The site — dotted with tents, fire pit bowls and a camp shower — is on a city-owned parcel.
Ramirez and the rest of his team had delivered the news about a week prior: The Chattanooga Police Department was coming to clear the land.
It’s the second major homeless camp clearing to occur this year in Chattanooga, though the first one, off Hooker Road, had closer to 50 inhabitants. The main camp off Brainerd Road typically had around 10 to 12 people staying there, alongside several smaller camps in the area, totaling 24 people’s tents and supplies that were cleared out Wednesday, officials said.
Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ Bruce Herkley adds twigs to a fire while Lindsay Price stands nearby at a homeless camp near Brainerd Road on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. The camp was set to be cleared out by the Chattanooga Police Department the following day.Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ A Chattanooga police officer walks through a homeless camp near Brainerd Road on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. The camp was being cleared out by the Chattanooga Police Department.Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ From left: Brittney Gravitt, Ben Beatty, a homeless outreach coordinator for the City of Chattanooga, and Lindsay Price carry personal possessions and supplies out from a homeless camp near Brainerd Road on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. The camp was being cleared out by the Chattanooga Police Department.Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ Brittney Gravitt (center right) and Lindsay Price take their personal possessions while leaving a homeless camp near Brainerd Road on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. The camp was being cleared out by the Chattanooga Police Department.Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ Roger Potter holds his head in his hand while resting on the sidewalk after leaving a homeless camp near Brainerd Road on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. The camp was being cleared out by the Chattanooga Police Department.Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ Brittney Gravitt, one of the first residents of a homeless camp near Brainerd Road, stands in her camp on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. The camp was set to be cleared out by the Chattanooga Police Department the following day.Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ Ben Beatty, a homeless outreach coordinator for the City of Chattanooga, pulls supplies out of a vehicle meant for a homeless camp near Brainerd Road on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. The camp was set to be cleared out by the Chattanooga Police Department the following day.Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ Andy Ramirez, a homeless outreach coordinator for the City of Chattanooga, pulls supplies out of a vehicle meant for a homeless camp near Brainerd Road on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. The camp was set to be cleared out by the Chattanooga Police Department the following day.Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ Mason Dixon the dog eats a hot dog in a homeless camp near Brainerd Road on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. The camp was set to be cleared out by the Chattanooga Police Department the following day.Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ Ben Beatty (right) and Andy Ramirez, homeless outreach coordinators for the City of Chattanooga, pack up supplies from their vehicle meant for a homeless camp near Brainerd Road on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. The camp was set to be cleared out by the Chattanooga Police Department the following day.Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ Ben Beatty, a homeless outreach coordinator for the City of Chattanooga, pulls a bike out of a vehicle meant for a homeless camp near Brainerd Road on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. The camp was set to be cleared out by the Chattanooga Police Department the following day.Staff Photo by Seth Carpenter/ Inside a homeless camp near Brainerd Road, Andy Ramirez, a homeless outreach coordinator for the City of Chattanooga, hands supplies to Brittney Gravitt, one of the original residents of the camp who helps distribute supplies, on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. The camp was set to be cleared out by the Chattanooga Police Department the following day.
When a private property owner calls the city about an encampment on the property, the city must come and remove people from the area and clear out their belongings, said Casey Tinker, the city’s director of homeless initiatives.
