Nashville: Emergency shelters won’t open this winter

Published 6:17 pm Thursday, October 17, 2019

NASHVILLE (AP) — The city of Nashville says emergency shelters for the homeless during the winter won’t open this year because of a lack of funding and resources.

News outlets report the decision was announced Monday during an Emergency Weather Committee and Stakeholder meeting.

The Tennessean reports the potential cut is indicative of Nashville’s budget issues despite having a “thriving economy” from tourism, new residents and industrial interest.

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Mayor John Cooper’s spokesman Chris Song says the mayor’s aware of the decision and plans to meet with the Department of Social Services on the decision.

Social Services opened the overflow shelters in 2016 as a “no-barrier” option for the homeless when the temperature drops below 28 degrees (-2.22 Celsius).

From December 2017 to February 2018, those shelters served about 2,200 people and their pets.