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Chattanooga’s homeless advocates optimistic about protecting vulnerable people from COVID-19 as temperatures drop

Staff photo by Wyatt Massey / Robert Arnold, business administrator for the Salvation Army, stands in front of a plastic-sealed entryway in the Salvation Army building on McCallie Avenue on Dec. 1, 2020. The church space was converted earlier this year into a quarantine space for people who tested positive for COVID-19 but do not otherwise have a place to stay.
Staff photo by Wyatt Massey / Robert Arnold, business administrator for the Salvation Army, stands in front of a plastic-sealed entryway in the Salvation Army building on McCallie Avenue on Dec. 1, 2020. The church space was converted earlier this year into a quarantine space for people who tested positive for COVID-19 but do not otherwise have a place to stay. Staff photo by Wyatt Massey / Robert Arnold, business administrator for the Salvation Army, stands in front of a plastic-sealed entryway in the Salvation Army building on McCallie Avenue on Dec. 1, 2020. The church space was converted earlier this year into a quarantine space for people who tested positive for COVID-19 but do not otherwise have a place to stay.

By Wyatt Massey 5 min read

The recent drop in temperature will test the coordinated effort of Chattanooga service organizations to protect people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After months of warm weather, when advocates delivered food to campsites and encouraged people to stay distant unless they needed resources, the cold front is driving the need for a safe, warm space for those without one.

The Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition opened its warming shelter at the Chattanooga Community Kitchen on Monday night, welcoming 24 people. The shelter serves as a resource when temperatures are at or below 35 degrees.

But asking people to congregate in an enclosed space overnight drives up the risk of spreading the coronavirus, which is circulating at unprecedented levels across Hamilton County. Continuing to offer the needed shelter in the face of a pandemic required a new level of coordination across nonprofit and government agencies, advocates said.

The Hamilton County Health Department is providing rapid COVID-19 tests for anyone seeking shelter. People who test negative can stay in the warming shelter. Those at higher risk for a serious case of COVID-19 can stay in a hotel shelter.