Tennessee released a plan to end the chronic homelessness seen throughout the state.
The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), in partnership with both the U.S. and Tennessee Interagency Councils on Homelessness, released the action plan Thursday.
It aims to eliminate homelessness in Tennessee over the next decade.
Last September, Gov. Bill Haslam, by Executive Order, reconstituted the Tennessee Interagency Council on Homelessness to coordinate the State’s efforts to develop a statewide plan.
Among the priority steps to implement this plan:
- Increase housing availability for individuals, veterans, and families
- Increase job opportunities and available job training programs
- Identify government funding sources at the local, state, and federal levels
- Create a single screening process all agencies can use to determine eligibility
- Create and operate a statewide database to better understand homelessness
The first goal is to end veteran and chronic homelessness by the end of 2017. The second is to end homelessness for families with children, youth by the end of 2020 - all being done within the third goal to end all homelessness by 2025.
