COVER STORY
Nashville’s first permanent supportive housing development for individuals experiencing homelessness opened after a ribbon cutting at the 2nd Avenue facility on July 18. PHOTO BY HANNAH CRON
Next Steps
Nashville opens its first permanent supportive housing development
N
ashville’s first permanent supportive housing development for individuals experiencing homelessness opened after a ribbon cutting at the Jo Johnston Avenue facility on July 18. The Strobel House, named for the late Father Charles Strobel who died last year, has been years in the making. Mayor Freddie O’Connell took to the stage before the ribbon cutting to offer a message of gratitude for those who made the Strobel House possible. “We’ve worked now across four different mayoral administrations to ensure we got this right. And now we’re here, with new homes for people in desperate
BY HANNAH CRON need,” he said. “Mayor [Megan] Barry was right to begin the conversation, Mayor [David] Briley was right to continue it. Mayor [John] Cooper was right to decide to name it for Charlie as he too continued it. And I am proud to be here today having worked with all of them on it, to help it get open and stay open.” The $35-million complex features 90 fully furnished apartments, including some ADA compliant units, laundry facilities, onsite mailboxes and bike storage and a computer lab. Located off 2nd Avenue, the facility offers close proximity to public transit as well as views of the downtown skyline and the Cumberland River. Forty-five of the units will be
PAGE 10 | July 31 - August 14, 2024
dedicated to those experiencing chronic homelessness, with the other half left for use by unhoused veterans, young adults and LGBTQ+ individuals. As of March, nearly 1,500 Nashvillians could be defined as experiencing chronic homelessness, defined by the National Alliance to End Homelessness homelessness sustained for a year or repeated homelessness experienced by a person with mental illness, substance abuse issues or a physical disability. Chronically homeless folks make up roughly 41 percent of the city’s unhoused population, according to the city. The Strobel House will act as a permanent supportive housing development, which
| The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
means the facility must not impose a time limit on residence and services such as mental and physical health care must be provided. The development is a collaborative effort of many government and outside organizations. Ground broke on the project in May of 2022 under the leadership of then-Mayor John Cooper. O’Connell has been an advocate for the project since its inception, and has been openly critical of the delays it has faced, even when he was a council member. O’Connell’s professed mission for his time in office included a “Housing First” initiative designed to get Nashvillians off the streets with longterm solutions.