29-04-2025
New static shelter in Blount County provides greater support to homeless families
BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — Family Promise of Blount County opening its door to a new shelter.
'We are at a point where we are seeing so many families who are homeless. And it's not just generational homelessness, it is just homelessness in general,' Family Promise of Blount County Executive Director April Smith said.
The organization opened a static shelter. It offers four families a place to stay with a kitchen, living room, and play area for children. While in the program, the organization works with families on breaking down barriers that are preventing them from achieving permanent housing.
'We started thinking outside the box and decided that we need a static shelter,' Smith said. 'A location where families could come and feel even more welcomed and supported in the system.'
'You're in our program for up to 90 days so that way you actually have time to get settled, really establish a budget,' said Ciara Humphrey, a case manager.
Some of those barriers include bad credit, eviction history and child care costs.
'People like single moms, especially who have the capacity to work, they might have a job but they don't have the opportunity to work full-time or get the money that they need to actually afford a home,' Humphrey said.
The organization told 6 News it is seeing an increase of people struggling since the COVID-19 pandemic due to the lack of affordable housing.
'We just don't have the housing and so because of that, families that really need affordable housing they're not able to get that. Rents that was normally $750 to $900 are now $1,600 to $1,000. Deposits. they want first and last month rent,' Smith said.
Once the family completes the program, they can move to a transitional complex with the goal to move to a permanent place.
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'They then have the opportunity to move on to our transitional housing program,' Humphrey said. 'We have a few different spots. We have a quadplex and then a home that was actually donated to us by Clayton Homes.'
The static shelter welcomed its first family on Monday. This is the first-of-its-kind shelter in Blount County.
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