The Chattanooga City Council is scheduled to vote next week on a plan to spend $60,000 in federal pandemic relief dollars to rapidly rehouse 100 formerly homeless people for one year.
During their meeting Aug. 30, council members will decide whether to enter into an agreement for the plan with the Chattanooga Housing Authority. Council members received an overview of the proposal Tuesday.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga may use $2.8 million in federal funds for low-barrier homeless shelter)
"Rapidly rehousing people makes this problem a lot less expensive than if you were to let it linger and then become a chronic homelessness issue," Joda Thongnopnua, chief of staff for Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly, told council members, "and so for our community, we believe this is the best way forward, and we hope council approves this."
The funding would come out of an emergency allocation of American Rescue Plan Act dollars the council approved several months ago to assist people directly affected by the pandemic. The cost is $600 per person for a year.
"The Chattanooga Housing Authority has agreed very graciously to allow us to use 100 of their units to house folks who were previously homeless," Thongnopnua told the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "As we expand the number of units available, we are able to rapidly rehouse people who really need a home."
The city's office of homelessness and supportive housing, Thongnopnua said, will work with tenants to ensure they have the resources to transition into a more stable lifestyle. He anticipates they would be staying at College Hill Courts, a public housing complex in Chattanooga.
Asked by Councilwoman Carol Berz, of Brainerd Hills, about plans after the year is over, Thongnopnua said that's something city officials would need to explore with the Chattanooga Housing Authority, which would tie into ongoing discussions around revitalizing the Westside community.
(READ MORE: Final residents leave Chattanooga's 11th Street homeless camp)
"We are working diligently with landlords all across the city to identify folks who are willing to take a Section 8 voucher," Thongnopnua said, referring to federal housing subsidies. "These folks all qualify for vouchers, which cover a vast majority of their rent."
If they're veterans or qualify for disability, residents could gain more permanent access to benefits, which would help them attain housing over the long-term, Thongnopnua said. Many also would be able to find employment, he said, and secure a sustained income.
"There may be some need in the future for city assistance, but we don't anticipate requiring this over the long haul," he said. "This is really an emergency measure to get folks off the streets."
Contact David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6249. Follow him on Twitter @flavid_doyd.