NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — More than 35 people living in a riverside homeless camp near Nissan Stadium were relocated to interim housing due to safety concerns over the 4th of July fireworks show.
City officials said the makeshift shelters were made of highly flammable materials and were located in the fireworks fallout zone, posing a fire hazard.
"This is all about safety. It has nothing to do with what's there, who's there outside of making sure that that area is not going to be dangerous to anyone that could be possibly impacted by it," Nashville Office of Emergency Management Public Information Officer Joseph Pleasant said.
Nashville Fire Department Director Chief William Swann said the safety requirements were necessary to protect everyone.
"On the East Bank, the Fire Marshal's office reviewed and approved the fallout zones with specific safety requirements coordinated with property owners. However, the current encampment in the East Bank area is inside of the fallout zone and includes makeshift structures, mostly constructed from highly combustible materials," Swann said. "Fallout zone requirements exist to protect life and property. These protections are designed to safeguard everyone, regardless of circumstance, from all hazards associated with pyrotechnic activity associated with the fireworks show on 4th of July."
Metro's Office of Homeless Services said final relocation plans were made on June 27, just seven days before the celebration, with the relocations occurring between June 28 and July 1.
Homeless advocates have criticized the city for the rushed timeline, saying officials failed to follow protocols for relocating unhoused residents.
Open Table Nashville, a homeless advocacy organization, released a statement expressing concerns about the process.
"On the heels of the closure of Old Tent City, the Office of Homeless Services (OHS) and other Metro entities rushed to close another large camp that was located in the 'fireworks fallout zone' for July 4th festivities. During this closure, 35 of the estimated 50-60 River Camp residents were hurried into transitional and permanent housing units, bypassing hundreds of people who have been waiting for housing for months or years in Nashville's Coordinated Entry System," the organization stated.
The advocates pointed to the closure process of Old Tent City across the river in June, which followed several months of planning and outreach, as a better example of how relocations should be handled.
"At Open Table Nashville, we want housing for every person and celebrate the doors that are opening for some of these residents. We are also deeply concerned by the lack of accountability for the leadership of OHS, who continues to show utter disregard for protocols, procedures, and strategies that are set by the larger community through the Continuum of Care," the statement continued.
Advocates also claimed the last-minute scrambling could impact plans to help other vulnerable individuals, arguing that the relocation planning should have happened sooner.
April Calvin, Director of the Office of Homeless Services, defended the city's approach.
"This effort was unique. It was an emergency, and we responded. Metro's American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, dedicated to homelessness, allowed us to move quickly," Calvin said. "Everyone we engaged was ready to go. They want housing, and we are committed to making that goal a reality."
The city says it will try to help the displaced residents secure permanent housing.
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