Latest news with #Burdett
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Homelessness increased in Northeast TN, according to 2025 PIT Count
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – In January, the annual Point in Time (PIT) count surveyed the number of unhoused people in Northeast Tennessee. Now, the results are in and show homelessness has nearly tripled since 2020. In 2020, the PIT count found nearly 400 people without housing. This year, the number is over 900. The annual survey is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in order for organizations and local governments to receive federal funding to combat homelessness. Volunteers and social service agency members spend a night finding unhoused individuals and interviewing them to try and analyze trends. PREVIOUS: Northeast Tennessee PIT Count organizer discusses importance of taking census on homelessness Opal Frye-Clark is the President of the Unity Housing board. She believes there are more unhoused people than the survey found. 'This is a snapshot within a 24-hour period of time that you go out into the community, and you try to physically count the number of individuals experiencing homelessness,' said Frye-Clark. 'While there was a specific number that yielded results from this year, it doesn't necessarily encompass everybody that's experiencing homelessness.' Terry Burdett is the Homeless Management Information Systems Manager at the Appalachian Regional Coalition on Homelessness (ARCH). He said there are multiple reasons the number has increased, including rent hikes. 'We have an affordable rental housing problem, and our older folks that are on fixed incomes, they're struggling in our communities,' said Burdett. 'I'm not saying that we've got this huge increase on elderly homeless, but our demographics are aging just a little bit every year.' In Johnson City, rent has increased from 12% to over 17%, according to the 2025 Housing Needs Assessment. Report details changes in Johnson City housing Burdett also noted that 10% of the respondents said they are homeless due to Hurricane Helene. Both Frye-Clark and Burdett said the public can help by donating or volunteering at local homeless assistance centers and shelters. 'If you're going to get involved, I would check out the organizations that are already doing things,' Frye-Clark said. 'Support your local government in making decisions to increase the amount of housing opportunities for local individuals in the area.' 'A lot of our grants help with rental assistance,' said Burdett, 'but then we have the issues with 'how about kitchenware?', you know, dining stuff, a bed to sleep on, a couch to sit on. So those are things that are difficult to pay with the grants, but funding outside the grants system can help us.' The PIT count also showed an increase in unhoused people with severe mental health and substance abuse issues. 40% of those surveyed struggled with one or both of those factors. Burdett said he thinks there is no reason to believe these solely contribute to homelessness. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Council apologises for gassing moles to death in graveyard
A council has apologised for using a gassing agent to kill 'out of control' moles 'disrupting the serenity' in a church graveyard. Tadley town council triggered outrage among residents after dead, poisoned moles were left strewn across the burial ground in Tadley, Basingstoke. Avril Burdett, chairman of Tadley Town Council, said the molehills were unsightly, caused a trip hazard to elderly mourners visiting the graves and had upset those whose loved ones were buried there. 'It's rather inappropriate to have burrowing animals around graves,' she said. Cllr Burdett said the decision to use the gassing agent was 'very difficult,' but 'sadly necessary', adding: 'I'm sorry that we've upset people.' Residents raised concern when they were warned to avoid the area around St Peter's Church while the 'mole removal' took place. A sign pinned to a gate read: 'Burial ground closed 14-16 January. Mole removal is taking place using Talunex aluminium phosphide gassing agent. People and dogs must keep away from this area.' The gassing agent is a rodenticide used to kill moles, rats and rabbits. Phosphine gas is produced when the pellets come into contact with moisture, producing a garlic or carbide odour. It is highly toxic and flammable. Breathing in aluminium phosphine can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. The council said it was forced to take the decision after 'traditional trapping methods proved ineffective'. In an email response to a resident, seen by The Telegraph, the council said that 'for some time, the burial ground has faced significant challenges due to mole activity'. The email added: 'Initially, we employed traditional trapping methods in an effort to manage the problem. These measures failed to achieve the necessary level of control. The number of moles and their activity continued to escalate, exacerbating the damage.' But residents have rejected the reasoning, with many expressing fears of contaminated water sources and secondary poisoning to local wildlife. One local pest controller, who wished to remain anonymous, branded the use of rodenticides as 'inhumane'. 'Using gas as a method of pest control can lead to significant suffering for the animals, as it causes distress and a prolonged death, which is ethically unacceptable in my opinion,' he said. Residents' frustration initially landed at the gates of St Peter's, with many blaming the church for letting the council go ahead with its plans. But the church denied all knowledge, telling residents: 'I'm afraid we knew nothing about this or the closure of the burial ground for this period. This has not been organised by the church. The graveyard around St Peter's is managed by the town council and Basingstoke and Deane borough council.'
