Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke seeks landlords to help end veteran homelessness

A large tent has had tarpaulins added to it for extra space and privacy in this 2011 file photo of a homeless camp in the East Ridge area. A large tent has had tarpaulins added to it for extra space and privacy in this 2011 file photo of a homeless camp in the East Ridge area.

By Yolanda Putman April 19, 2015 3 min read

Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke speaks at The Chattanoogan hotel in this file photo.

IF YOU GO

What: City meeting soliciting landlords and property owners willing to rent to veterans When: 3 p.m. Thursday Where: City Hall, 101 E. 11th St. More information: Contact Heather Cook, the city’s homeless program coordinator, at 423-643-7301 or hcook@chattanooga.gov.

Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke is looking for volunteers and landlords to help get local veterans housed.

“If you fought for our freedom you shouldn’t have to fight to have a roof over your head,” Berke said during a telephone conference week.

He’s pushing to end veteran homelessness by the end of this year, though in 2014 he said he wanted to end homelessness for veterans in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition reports nearly a 20 percent increase in the number of area homeless veterans this year compared to 2014.