NEWS

The new and old of this year’s Cold Weather Community Response

BY HANNAH HERNER

The city’s new Cold Weather Community Response plan is lined up for when the temperature drops below 28 degrees. Its goal is to get people who don’t have shelter inside and safe from a risk of death from the elements through low-barrier shelter and transportation.

The city’s plan, headed up by Metro Homeless Impact Division with help from private entities and a Continuum of Care shelter committee, has been different each year since it began in 2016. This year is no exception.

What’s changed:

• The emergency cold weather shelter will now be at 3230 Brick Church Pike, formerly Nashville Computer Academy. Last year, it was at The Fairgrounds Nashville along with the COVID-19 emergency shelter.

• Metro Homeless Impact Division has a new director, Jay Servais, formerly with the Office of Emergency Management.

• Room In The Inn will be hosting more people this year — up to 80 a night from 40 last year and down from 150 in years prior.

• Families will be directed to Nashville Rescue Mission, but women and children are separated from men, as the Women’s campus of Nashville Rescue Mission is under construction.

• COVID-19 isolation space will be available at Nashville Rescue Mission as well as the overflow shelter.

• Launchpad is delaying the start of its cold weather sheltering and piloting a program that gives emergency housing for a limited group of LGBTQ young adults in an apartment-like setting.

What’s the same as last year:

• Cold weather shelter season is from Nov. 1 until March 31.

• The cold weather shelter is meant to be used for overflow, after others are at capacity.

• The cold weather shelter will only open if the temperature is expected to drop to 28 degrees or below.

• The shelter is operating from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

• COVID protocols require guests to wear a mask.

• The emergency shelter accepts men, women, couples and pets.

• There is space to be out of the elements during the day at Nashville Rescue Mission and Room In The Inn.

• Both Nashville Rescue Mission and the overflow shelter have kennels and welcome dogs.

Transportation

Nashville Homeless Connect won’t be around this year — the free transportation service just for those experiencing homelessness was run on founder Abdulkadir Mohammed’s own dollar. However, his other company, Mobility Solutions, will be commissioned to transport people from locations around town to the central bus station and to the shelter directly.

• The cold weather emergency shelter is along the 23B bus route.

• Shuttles will bring people from different sections of town to shelter directly, or to the Downtown WeGo station to take the 23B bus to shelter. Those with pets that aren’t registered service animals cannot use WeGo, so they will be connected to a shuttle. Call 615-862-6391 to hear the shuttle schedule for the day.

• 350 cold weather bus passes that activate when the emergency shelter does will be distributed by outreach workers

• If those on the way to the shelter don’t have a pass, they can still ride.

• 2-hour bus passes will be handed out in the morning for return trips

Editor’s note: The Contributor’s executive director Cathy Jennings is part of the Continuum of Care’s cold weather shelter committee and helped to formulate the cold weather shelter plan this year.