NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After more than two years, the homeless encampment in Hermitage has closed. It comes after neighbors and businesses called and emailed city officials to clean it up.
City officials said all 36 people living at that camp are now housed and many are under a roof for the first time in several years.
It's a transition that can be difficult for some who chose to live there, but exciting for other who felt like they had no other options.
The Office of Homeless Services and volunteers have been working together to get everyone housed, whether that was moving towards an apartment or town home.
The move comes from Nashville's previous Mayor, John Cooper, who sough to invest $50 million to provide temporary housing, wraparound services, and permanent supportive housing to the unhoused community.
Crews will be on site next week to clean up the property and then it will be fenced off. A portion of the site will be transitioned into a recycling center.
There are still so many families in East Tennessee hurting following the floods from Hurricane Helene in September. That made this year's running of the Santa Train extra special for many families in the northeast part of the state. This special Santa Express has been making an annual run in part of Appalachia for over 80 years.
-Lelan Statom
