The Chattanooga City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to allocate $50,000 to help keep people displaced from the Budgetel Inn housed in hotel rooms.
Council members approved their end of an agreement between the city and county following a presentation from the city's Office of Homelessness and Supportive Housing and the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition.
"I'm a little perplexed why anyone would begrudge taxpayer dollars going to help and aid in a human crisis such as this," council member Chip Henderson of Lookout Valley said during an agenda review meeting Tuesday.
The Hamilton County Commission is set to vote on its own proposed $50,000 contribution during a meeting Wednesday morning.
The funds, $100,000 total if commissioners approve those funds on Wednesday, will go to the coalition and should be able to keep displaced residents in hotel rooms for roughly another month, based on current rates. The coalition estimates it will take three months and around $400,000 to see the majority of those staying in hotel rooms placed in longer-term housing.
The coalition said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that it has been able to extend hotel stays, which expire Wednesday, for another week.
Contact Ellen Gerst at egerst@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6319. Follow her on Twitter @ellengerst.