NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new pilot program is stepping in to help thousands of children and families facing housing instability in Davidson County before they experience chronic homelessness.
Hundreds of children in the city sleep in motel beds or the back seats of cars before heading to school the next morning. Through Metro Schools’ HERO Program, students facing housing instability while trying to keep up in the classroom are identified.
Real estate developer Ken Larish shifted his focus from building housing to helping families find it after attending a Sunday school class at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
"The folks from the Hero Program from Metro Public Schools were there. And they taught us about what they worked on," Larish said. "When I heard just the shocking number that 4,500 students at any given time are dealing with some sort of serious housing instability issue, my first reaction was that’s just outrageous. And how can that possibly exist in our community?"
The pilot program, Home Together Nashville, works with HERO-identified families to keep them housed. Families are placed into stable housing, paying rent they can afford, with support to help them stay there.
Larish began working closely with HERO leadership and other local experts to develop a response that could provide both immediate relief and long-term stability. One of his key partners in that work is Judy Tackett, who brings years of experience advocating for people without housing.
"So what can we do to work with landlords, get access to housing that’s vacant already, and get these folks access to this housing?" Larish said.
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee is a key financial partner supporting the pilot program.
"And I get pitched a lot of ideas, as you can imagine, but you know, 10 minutes in, I knew that this was a beautiful one and one that we wanted to be a part of," said Hal Cato, CEO of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
The Tennessee Titans and private donors have also joined the effort, but organizers say continued community support is critical to grow.
"And I think it’s kind of a healthy community when we stand up and say this is not someone else’s problem. This is our problem," Cato said.
If the pilot program proves successful, organizers hope to expand across Davidson County and potentially serve as a model for other cities. Those wishing to donate can contact the Community Foundation.
"And if we can break that, that cycle, or just stop it from happening at all, then we’ve won," Larish said.
Home Together Nashville is seeking partners, supporters, and community members who want to help expand access to stable housing for families with children in Middle Tennessee.
To learn more, partner, or support this work, contact Judy Tackett at judithtackett@hotmail.com. To make a gift, visit CFMT’s giving page here or click the link below.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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