Williamson County Homeless Alliance aims to create permanent shelter
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — In their day shelter off of West Mead Boulevard, the Williamson County Homeless Alliance offers a place where people experiencing homelessness can wash their clothes, take a shower, access a computer, meet with a case manager and take a break from the elements.
'A lot of people don't think that Williamson County has a homeless problem, and we do,' Dr. Kevin Riggs, Executive Director of WCHA told News 2.
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Riggs estimated that as of publication, about 1,500 people are currently unhoused in Williamson County.
'A lot of times, people come to Williamson County because they hear how successful Williamson County is, and so they think they can come and find a better job,' Riggs said. 'So they move here from other parts of the country wanting to better themselves, but then find themselves in a hardship where they are homeless.'
In 2024, WCHA partnered with the Franklin Community Development and provided housing for 115 families, including 178 adults and 42 children.
Riggs says while there's a small number of people living in tents, most of the county's unhoused population live in cars or couch surf, making it difficult to keep an official count. He said another concern of his is the growing number of senior citizens who don't have housing.
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'As a whole, we just have to come together and decide that instead of building all these mega-mansions around town, we have to provide housing for our senior citizens, for our veterans, or just for people who are struggling with different mental health issues, we have to be able to provide housing for them,' Riggs added.
The WCHA's long-term goal is to establish a permanent shelter that would be open seven days a week for the whole year. As of publication, the nonprofit operates emergency shelters during inclement weather, utilizing churches and other spaces in the community.
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