NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's one of the biggest challenges in trying to help people who are experiencing homelessness: how to get them permanent housing.
As Metro lawmakers are set to look at a $50 million plan to help tackle homelessness, one specific program that's a part of Mayor John Cooper's plan aims to end homelessness in Nashville.
An apartment is often the first step for many on the way to home ownership.
But even to get an apartment in Nashville, tenants have to meet a lot of requirements from landlords.
Elisabeth Wiede is with the group Low Barrier Housing Collective.
While she doesn't work for the Mayor's office, she partners with Metro by running the program.
"Many people experiencing homelessness maybe have previous evictions on their records, criminal history, low income all sorts of things like that," Wiede said.
The collective's goal is to negotiate with landlords to be flexible with some of those requirements so they let someone rent an apartment who may not otherwise qualify. In return, landlords can claim sign-on bonuses, and can recover money beyond a security deposit or even get paid for rent if a tenant who signs on with them breaks their lease early or has other problems.
"I think everybody experiences hardship in their lives and a big part of this collaboration is that we all believe housing is a right," Wiede said. "And so we are working to make sure everyone feels supported through the process of applying and tenancy."
The collective hopes that the $7 million it's lined up for can help increase or provide more bonuses to landlords.
