Tag: Homelessness

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‘Point-in-Time’ Count to Provide Data on Homelessness in Shelby County

Photo Credit: Community Alliance for The Homeless

The Community Alliance for the Homeless (CAFTH) and the Memphis and Shelby County Homeless Consortium will be working with volunteers to collect data to develop resources, programs, and funding for those experiencing homelessness.

The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is an annual initiative scheduled for January 22, 2025. Volunteers will meet at First Congregational Church, 1000 South Cooper Street, at 3:15 a.m., where they will form teams to survey unsheltered locations, including streets, parks, and encampments. These teams, led by trained leaders, will cover areas across Memphis and Shelby County to better assess the scope of homelessness in the region.

In addition to surveying these areas, participants will be distributing care bags with hygiene products, warm clothes, and snacks to those they encounter.

“Volunteering for the PIT Count is a unique opportunity to directly impact the fight against homelessness,” CAFTH officials said. “This annual event brings people together to count and survey our neighbors experiencing homelessness, giving us the data we need to better serve them and bring lasting change to Memphis and Shelby county.”

According to CAFTH, this is required nationally by Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The 2023 PIT summary for Memphis and Shelby County showed there were a total of 1,292 people experiencing homelessness, 1,172 individuals were sheltered, and 165 were categorized as unsheltered. 

Those aged 25 and over made up for a majority of these numbers at a total of 908 people. Youth under the age of 18 accounted for the second largest group with 295 individuals.

Officials said this project informs strategic planning for housing and services. They added that collecting accurate data helps them further secure state and federal funding. 

CAFTH officials said they were able to secure over $11 million in government funding through connecting 20 organizations across Memphis and Shelby County. Funds were secured through gathering and analyzing data on homelessness as well.

PIT is part of CAFTH’s vision to end homelessness through a collaborative approach. The organization has outlined three goals with strategic action to make sure that homelessness is rare, brief, and one-time. 

The alliance’s 901 Home Together: Strategic Plan to End Homelessness in Memphis and Shelby County guide shows that to ensure brevity they must identify and engage those experiencing homelessness as quickly as possible. 

This strategy consists of street outreach and coordinating programs that will allow people to access services quickly. CAFTH said they use input from those with lived experiences and outreach workers.

Those interested in participating can sign up to volunteer in the count here. The community is also asked to identify known locations for those experiencing homelessness prior to the event.

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Opinion The Last Word

Letter to ‘The Tenant’

Sharing a lighter to keep out the cold. (Photo: Wirestock | Dreamstime.com)

I was walking home from Walgreens on the night before my birthday. I had just gone out with some friends to celebrate since I had to work on my actual birthday — a sad affair. But who can afford to miss any time at work nowadays? Plus, with my rent coming up, I especially needed all the time I could get. This morning, my building sent me a payment reminder, so the amount of $815 rang around in my head. I can thankfully afford it, but it’s been with some sacrifices here and there. Tonight was a rare occurrence for me. Usually I just stay inside and eat ramen on my weekends.

That’s when I saw you, huddled underneath the abandoned lawyer’s office awning. You and your girlfriend are sitting there with a lighter between the two of you. A blanket sanctifies your union. Next door, at the building where Lucyja Hygge used to be (before they got priced out), you both have set up another sort of home-ish situation. The patio is strewn with bed sheets, bottles, and a hot plate. There used to be chairs, but they’re gone now. 

Before Lucyja Hygge was here, this building had been an artist’s studio. The artist himself lived in the back part. When I was younger, I had hooked up with him. But that’s another story for another time. It is unrelated to you. Here is our history as I remember it. 

During Covid’s first winter, you set up shelter at my workplace. The shelter was elaborate, crafted with pure intention to keep out the cold. Blankets draped across a table. A comforter hooked onto a chair. You created a den of warmth with these simple discarded items. This lighter you hold now is a mere specter of what you once had. To what myself and others had to deconstruct and disassemble each week.

We weren’t open weekdays, just weekends. So, for a bit, we all lived in a sort of silent communion. We left you alone and you usually left us alone. Everyone was always apprehensive to ruin what you had made in the night. But we called you The Tenant in jest. We still call you The Tenant when you come in. When you do, all of us take turns telling you to leave the building. I feel like a traitor every time it’s my turn. Especially since I know your name now. It’s Gray. And I say your name when I tell you you can’t stay here. Hopefully it’s a kind enough gesture.

There’s another history with us that extends deeper than Covid though. A time before we all had to stay confined and separate and survive as best as we could. It didn’t occur to me until I got home and began writing this letter. You used to be a customer. I remember you now. I even defended you once, I think. You had a schizophrenic attack after your movie. This was back when we took cash. And that’s all you had: cash. I don’t remember the movie. It was probably any popcorn flick that anyone would go to. A Marvel movie maybe. Could have been Fast & Furious.

But this is what I remember. A lady walked up to me and said you were mumbling. She seemed frightened, so I reassured her you were harmless. That you come here all the time and don’t ever cause trouble. It seems though, trouble loves to find you. Who were you talking to that night, I wonder? Who did you see? What strange dreams plagued you then and plague you still?

It’s four or five years later now. Here you are in a new home, this abandoned rats’ alley between my apartment and the Walgreens. We’re neighbors. We’ve been neighbors. You once nodded to me in camaraderie as we passed each other by, a morning salutation with whatever drink you managed to scrounge up and hold fast to.

This is to say, I hope you stay warm and I hope you stay safe. Even if it means just a lighter and another warm body beside you, two souls who know the anger of this new world and its rising, deafening tone. I’m glad you have a companion with you to hold your hand when those demons come for you again, even if it’s in the elements.

Besides, isn’t that all any of us want at the end of the day, anyway? Another body, another soul, someone to say, “You are okay and we are safe,” even if that may not be true.

As I finish this letter, I remind myself that rent is due on the 5th. And I’d better pay it. 

William Smythe is a local writer and poet. He writes for Focus Mid-South, an LGBT+ magazine.

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Renaissance Faire at Wiseacre to Benefit Students Experiencing Homelessness

Photo: Matt Benson | Unsplash

Hear ye, hear ye, by a royal-in-spirit decree, all subjects of Memphis are invited to the Renaissance Faire this Saturday at Wiseacre Brewing Company. 

The day will have “live music, a mermaid, face painting, dancers, a queen who will knight fair-goers, and armored knights doing demonstrations,” says event organizer Ashley Riley. “There will also be several vendors selling medieval garb, jewelry, and accessories, as well as plenty of food vendors — including the iconic turkey leg, a staple at any Renaissance fair.”

The event also promises to be family-friendly, and costumes are encouraged — for kids and adults alike. “I’ve never been to a Renaissance fair before,” Riley admits, “but it’s something I’ve always wanted to experience. I know Memphis loves a good themed event, and with so many costume possibilities — from fairies and knights to pirates and jesters — the Ren Faire seemed like a perfect choice.”

Costumes are encouraged. (Photo: Austin Lowman | Unsplash)

Further, the Renaissance Faire is an opportunity to support students experiencing homelessness, the number of whom doubled in Memphis since the pandemic to around 2,100. In her role working with EverDriven, an organization that, in partnership with school districts, provides transportation to students experiencing homelessness and students with special needs, Riley says, “I regularly meet with homeless liaisons from across the Mid-South and hear their stories and those of the students they support. One thing that’s consistently mentioned is the need for school supplies.”

So, even though the event is free to attend, fair-goers are encouraged to bring school supplies to donate; you can also find a few local teachers’ classroom wish lists on the event’s Instagram page (@renaissancefairememphis).

“We hope everyone who attends this Ren Faire experiences a strong sense of community,” adds Riley, who had the help of Allie Trotter, Wiseacre’s manager; Caity Luman, a professional theater costume designer and local jewelry artist; and several volunteers in launching the event. “By donning our Renaissance garb, dancing, enjoying the entertainment, and supporting the amazing venue, we’re all contributing to something bigger — a cause that gives back to our community. I hope people leave feeling inspired and uplifted, knowing that they’ve been part of something positive for the most vulnerable in our community.”  

Renaissance Faire, Wiseacre Brewing Company, 2783 Broad Ave., Saturday, August 17, 1-6 p.m., free.

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Memphis and Shelby County Receive $11 Million in Funding to Address Homelessness

Photo: Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Memphis and Shelby County will receive $11 million in funding to address homelessness in vulnerable populations. This funding came from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the Continuum of Care Program Competition, and was procured by the Community Alliance for the Homeless (CAFTH) and the Memphis & Shelby County Homeless Consortium.

Previously, Memphis and Shelby County received $8.9 million which was used for housing for youth, families, and other individuals. This year, the nearly $2 million increase will help LGBTQ populations and people fleeing domestic violence.

Emma Boehme, Continuum of Care project coordinator for CAFTH, said when they’re dealing with youth systems in CAFTH, they are also helping LGBTQ youth. Boehme added that the LGBTQ youth community, “especially in states like Tennessee,” experience homelessness disproportionately.

“Tennessee doesn’t have any systems currently in place that are measuring the hard data surrounding that because Tennessee isn’t the safest place for that,” said Boehme. “Nationwide, LGBTQ youth are 120 percent more likely to experience homelessness than non-LGBTQ+ youth, and 22 percent of LGBTQ youth are actively experiencing poverty and housing insecurity compared to 11.5 percent of the general population.”

Julie Meiman, Continuum of Care planning director for CAFTH, said the grant mainly funds two different types of programs. Rapid re-housing is a medium- to long-term rental assistance, while permanent supportive housing is for people who have a disability “who need long-term assistance to stay stably housed.”

“Through those they [HUD] want to serve all populations. Included in this funding is our youth homelessness funding. About 2 million of that award includes funding for youth and special populations,” said Meiman. “The Continuum of Care grant, known as the NOFO [Notice of Funding Opportunities], is an annual funding opportunity offered by HUD for Continuum of Care regions around the country.” 

Meiman said CAFTH is the lead agency for Memphis and Shelby County and is responsible for leading the grant process. The grant is submitted on behalf of agencies including Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA), Friends for All, Promise Development Corporation, OUTMemphis, Catholic Charities of West Tennessee, and others.

“Everything about this process is as accessible as possible,” Meiman said. “Once HUD announces that the application is open, we immediately post a timeline on our website. Even before the date is announced we’re doing workshops inviting people, especially new agencies that have never received HUD funding to run a housing program. HUD wants to fund new projects.”

Meiman said applying for federal funding is a “complicated and lengthy” process, so they make a special effort to make sure new and returning applicants understand every step.

“All agencies serving any population of people experiencing homelessness are encouraged to apply for this funding in August of 2024,” said CAFTH in a statement. “Community Alliance for the Homeless is thrilled to play a pivotal role in bringing increased funding to the community to impact homelessness. They will continue to leverage a combination of federal, state, and local funding to address all areas of the homeless system, in conjunction with their partners in the City of Memphis, Shelby County Government, and the member agencies of the Memphis and Shelby County Homeless Consortium.”

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Community Partners Believe Solution To Homelessness Lies in Collaboration

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash.

Memphis is improving in some of its “system performances” as a community when it comes to the topic of homelessness, said Julie Meiman, continuum of care planning director for the Community Alliance For The Homeless.

Meiman noted that locally there have been “system-wide” improvements, with lower rates of returns to homelessness, and increased rates of people exiting homelessness with income. There has also been an increase in dedicated funding streams from federal, state, and local sources for homelessness.

Ashley Cash, director of housing and community development for the city of Memphis, said that they have made “a lot of efforts” around reducing homelessness by partnering with other agencies and partners.

While there have been notable strides made, homelessness remains a local and national problem.

Meiman said that here in Memphis there is still a need for emergency shelter that is both “low barrier and free.”

“Even when we can permanently house people, sometimes our resources still fall short, when it comes to providing them with things in order to stay housed, such as access to adequate healthcare,” said Meiman.

Cash added that while, most of the time, shelters are full, there are also people who  are categorized as “housed,” but still live in poor conditions.

On a national level, Meiman said that homelessness has “incrementally increased” over the past six years. 

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ 2023 State of Homelessness report, “homelessness has been on the rise since 2017, experiencing an overall increase of 6 percent.” 

The same report said that in Memphis and Shelby County, there were approximately 1,055 people homeless on a given night in 2022.

CAFTH believes that the solution to Memphis’ homelessness problem does not lie within one entity or organization, but rather the result of “cross-sector collaboration.”

“We all know that families are experiencing homelessness right now in Memphis, and they need support across the spectrum from prevention to diversion, to emergency shelter, to permanent housing,” said Meiman.

Collaboration was the theme for CAFTH’s second annual Symposium on Ending Homelessness, which concluded that “no one person or nonprofit agency or leader” alone can reduce homelessness or end homelessness all together.

During the symposium, Meiman mentioned the efforts being made in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a city that is close to becoming the first in the nation to end homelessness, according to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness.

“Milwaukee’s recent progress is a testament to what can be accomplished when communities come together to address homelessness,” said a report from the organization.

Meiman explained that the Continuum of Care (CoC) in Milwaukee partnered with the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County, and pulled in case managers, eviction lawyers, and other individuals and groups to “develop a new strategy” with a “creative funding model that focused on prevention.”

“That kind of cross-sector collaboration is well within reach for Memphis and Shelby County,” said Meiman. 

While she believes that Memphis and Shelby County have the resources and ability to collaborate on the issue, she said that system-level change is difficult, and often moves at a “glacial pace.” However, she added that Memphis and Shelby County’s CoC is designed for this type of collaboration.

“It is rare, it is golden, and it is full of people who are powerful because they are willing and able to do this work,” said Meiman.

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Mayoral Candidates Share Plans to Address Racial Inequities and Homelessness

Photo Credit:Memphis Flyer

On Thursday, three Memphis mayoral race candidates — Reggie Hall, Michelle McKissack, and Paul Young — shared their plans to address racial inequities and homelessness at the Symposium on Ending Homelessness. 

The event was hosted by the Community Alliance For The Homeless (CAFTH) at Rhodes College on August 10th, with the mayoral candidate forum moderated by Shirley Bondon of the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis.

“The mayor of Memphis has an awesome responsibility,” said Bondon. “If they do their job well, they can prepare a vehicle of opportunity for the city and all its residents. Those housed and unhoused.”

Each candidate was allowed an opening statement to describe their plans to address homelessness in Memphis. Symposium participants also submitted their own questions prior to the event. The candidates shared their personal experiences with the issue as well.

Following candidate statements, Bondon asked about their commitment to racial and social equity in their proposed response to homelessness, as well as how they have addressed the problem in their previous work.

The CAFTH 2022 annual report said, “While Black, African-American, or African individuals account for 51 percent of the total Memphis population, they represent 74 percent of the population experiencing homelessness.” In contrast, “White individuals account for 35 percent of the total Memphis population, but represent only 21 percent of the population experiencing homelessness.

“In an equitable world, the total population would be equal (or close) to the population experiencing homelessness,” the report said.

McKissack said homelessness is not just a “one-size-fits-all” problem, and that no one group can address it. “The fact is you have to tap into all those types of agencies that are actually addressing homelessness and racial and social aspects of living,” she said. “Here in Memphis, we are a predominantly African-American community, but the wealth is not spread out in the way that it should be.” If elected, McKissack said she plans to bring all parties to the table to come up with a solution.

She added that her work to address these inequities started in her role as a parent, at Downtown Elementary, where she started a clothes closet for students experiencing homelessness. She also invited local artists to the school every six weeks to ensure all students were able to feel “whole.”

Hall said he will be the “bridge between wealth and sweat equity.” He saidin order for the city to work, we have to learn how to build relationships and partnerships.

“It doesn’t matter if you have wealth or if you don’t, at this moment,” he said. “Bullets are flying. Cars are being broken into. The homes are being broken into. And everyone is being terrorized at this moment. It has finally come a time where we must all build together, work together, put aside petty differences, and bring in a true leader who can bridge that gap.”

When asked to recall a relationship he has built in the city of Memphis to address inequity, Hall said he hasn’t built any on the professional level; everything he does is on ground level. “The people that I help are the disproportionate people and disenfranchised people.”

Young said his approach relies on changing the system, as people of color are “disproportionately represented” in all social systems. “What we have to do is make the process seamless,” Young said. “People just don’t know. They don’t understand our bureaucracy. That’s how we address the inequities.”

Young added there need to be more resources to address the problem, which, he said, he has been actively doing as a part of his work. Young referenced his previous role as director of Housing and Community Development for the City of Memphis, where they started the first Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

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Symposium on Homelessness to Champion Collaboration

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

The Community Alliance for the Homeless (CAFTH) is encouraging a collaborative approach in its second annual “Symposium on Ending Homelessness” on August 10th at Rhodes College.

CAFTH said in a statement that it seeks collaboration with stakeholders to build solutions addressing poverty, health, violence, and inequity as they intersect with healthcare, criminal justice, veteran homelessness, and affordable housing systems.

Julie Meiman, the continuum of care planning director for CAFTH, spoke with the Flyer about the state of homelessness in Memphis and Shelby County, how the public can help, and the importance of collaborative solutions.

Memphis Flyer: What are the goals of the symposium and how it aims to address homelessness in Memphis and Shelby County?

Julie Meiman: This is only the second annual symposium, so last year when we created it, it was still in that post-Covid, bringing everyone back together in person phase. We really saw that the nonprofit agencies and organizations that we work with, and even our government partners, were still experiencing that isolation and we needed to create an opportunity for people to come together to have a day of discussion and forward thinking about our community.

The theme this year is “Collaboration To Impact Homelessness.” We have plenty of evidence to demonstrate that communities around the country, which are making really great strides towards ending homelessness, are doing that through cross-sector collaboration. That is one of the reasons we are inviting mayoral candidates, to tell us their ideas on how they would end homelessness in Memphis and Shelby County because it will take cross collaboration from all of those different sectors in order to achieve our goals.

How do you all plan on emphasizing this collaborative effort among stakeholders during the event?

As the lead agency, we are doing system-level work. There are many agencies doing incredible work providing direct services, but we are sort of looking at this big picture. We collect all the data for the community around homelessness, and we also do policy and advocacy work. So we’re going to be bringing all of those pieces together.

At the symposium itself, we have different tracks. One is on affordable housing. We have tools for providers, best practices, what people can do to sustain their housing. We’re also looking at how can we support people who have really complex intersectional challenges. 

We’re looking at housing providers, engaging with landlords, the healthcare system. We are urging people to continue to contribute to the data so we can better understand what the needs are. We are engaging with the housing authority to look at the role of housing vouchers. There’s just a lot of different elements that have to be pulled together, because it’s an understatement to say that homelessness is a complex issue — we all know it’s a complex issue — but we really want to focus on those different areas that make up that complex picture.

What are some of the challenges that you have seen Memphis and Shelby County face when it comes to addressing homelessness?

Two of them are mental health and substance abuse. Those are the most common I think that are almost to the point of being stereotypical in people’s minds. Those are certainly real challenges that contribute to that complex picture. 

We have strong partners in the mental health service provider community, as well as substance abuse, that are a part of our consortium that we engage with. Where we know we have work to do is reaching out to populations who, for example, are undocumented, or who have difficulty accessing service because of language issues. We know there are people out there who need extra support to get the help that they need, and as a community we can develop better support for those people.

One of the other areas we’ve focused really hard on in the last year is youth, especially older youth ages 18-24 years old. Being homeless can be kind of invisible. It can be difficult to see, because youth often will sleep on somebody’s couch for months at a time. It’s just a less visible population, so we’ve worked hard to focus on youth in our community who are experiencing homelessness.

While symposium registration is closed to the public, what can people do to actively address homelessness and spread awareness?

I think another misconception, or when people come up with what the face of homelessness looks like, a lot of times we’re picturing that person standing at the corner holding a cardboard sign. Or the person standing outside the store as we’re leaving, asking for money. That might be a part of the picture, but there’s a much more pervasive level of homelessness that we don’t see every day. If people can, they should donate to those nonprofit agencies that are serving people in homelessness. There are partners on our website. People can support in other ways. They can give food, there are agencies out there feeding people who are without housing, they can donate clothing. We have a big event coming up in January called Project Homeless Connect, and there will be opportunities there to volunteer and to donate as well. There are a lot of giving opportunities in that way, and if people want to really get involved, and become a part of the discussion, I would encourage them to join the Memphis and Shelby County Homeless Consortium.

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Seven-Day Homeless Journey Protests State’s ‘Anti-Camping’ Law

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Terence Lester, founder of the organization Love Beyond Walls, recently traveled to Memphis as a part of a seven-day journey to protest a Tennessee law that makes camping on public property a felony. This is a part of Lester’s documentary that will “give a voice to and highlight the lives of the people most impacted by Tennessee’s anti-camping bill.”

The law went into effect on July 1st, 2022.  According to the Tennessee General Assembly, this law “creates a Class C misdemeanor offense, punishable by a $50 fine and community service work, for camping along a controlled-access highway or entrance or exit ramp; expands Equal Access to Public Property Act of 2012, under which it is a Class E felony offense for a person to camp on property owned by the state knowing that the area on which the camping occurs is not specifically designated for use as a camping area, to apply the offense of unauthorized camping to all public property.”

“It’s an act of public sanitation,” said Lester. “It is the sanitizing of physical presence and existence of those who are unhoused. That can be connected to capital interest. It can be connected to wanting to beautify a city in ways where poverty is not an eyesore.”

Memphis was Lester’s first stop on his journey, and he will also travel to Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. Lester said that he has done a number of campaigns to bring attention to homelessness such as walking to Washington, D.C. from Atlanta. He also walked to the Lorraine Motel in Memphis in 2018 to bring attention to poverty, homelessness, and racism.

Lester said that one of his greatest passions for advocacy work around homelessness comes from his own personal experiences.

“When I was a teenager, I experienced a brief moment of homelessness while I was in high school,” Lester said. “You know, sleeping in parks, and trying to find different places to stay that were safe.”

Lester said that he developed a passion for people he could relate to. He explained that there was a disconnect of how people who were impoverished and experiencing homelessness are perceived.

“I wanted to leverage my voice, and my education to do something about it.”

Lester also said that he wanted to use this as a platform to develop empathy towards the homeless population.

“My experience has been that of heaviness, you know a combination of joy, because there are people in the toughest moments of their life of not having a physical location, somehow find a way to tell jokes, and to talk about the simple things.”

In having conversations with different people, Lester said he came across a woman who talked about her sense of fear and worry, and how it causes her to not rest.

“She fears being raped, or having something happen to her because there’s only a small amount of resources for women in this particular city [Memphis],” said Lester. “It made me think about the unrest that happens in the minds of individuals who are experiencing homelessness, just on a real personal level, because I know what that feels like.”

While Lester said that he resonates with this sentiment, he is also trying to communicate the message that there needs to be more safe spaces for the unhoused community so people can receive wellness.

“Wellness can be described as emotional wellness, spiritual wellness, physical wellness,” said Lester. “Just total wellness that we all are in pursuit of.”

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Student Homelessness Surges In Memphis-Shelby County Schools

MSCS officials said the uptick in homelessness is likely the result of a lack of affordable housing, a longstanding problem in Memphis made worse by soaring inflation. (Karen Pulfer Focht for Chalkbeat)

Homelessness among Memphis-Shelby County Schools students has hit its highest level in at least four years, more than doubling from the same time last year.

New district data shows 1,504 students were identified as homeless as of Oct. 7, the end of the first quarter of the school year. That’s a nearly 180% increase from last fall, when the number of homeless students stood at 538.

And the problem is only getting worse, said Shawn Page, the district’s chief of academic operations and school support. So far this school year, Page said MSCS has identified and provided services to over 1,600 homeless students and their families — already topping the total number of homeless families the district supported all last school year.

“That is significant, and just shows the extreme need in our communities for homelessness services,” Page told the school board during Monday committee meetings.

Page estimates there are thousands more MSCS students experiencing housing insecurity whom the district has not been able to identify or support. The district largely relies on school counselors, social workers, and teachers to gather data on homeless students and support those families through individual schools, but sometimes, families can slip through the cracks.

The likely undercount is part of a nationwide pattern: A recent Center for Public Integrity analysis suggests 300,000 students entitled to essential rights reserved for homeless students were not identified by their school districts, which are required to help them. Some 2,400 districts did not report having even one homeless student, despite levels of economic hardship that make those figures improbable, according to the analysis, and many more are likely undercounting the number of homeless students they do identify. 

In nearly half of states, tallies of student homelessness “bear no relationship with poverty, a sign of how inconsistent the identification of kids with unstable housing can be,” the report said.

MSCS officials said the uptick in homelessness is likely the result of a lack of affordable housing, a longstanding problem in Memphis made worse by rising inflation. Rents in Memphis, for example, have risen by nearly 30% since before the pandemic, according to the November 2022 Apartment List National Rent Report.

Last year’s 36% jump to 538 homeless students appeared to be a near return to pre-pandemic levels, after virtual learning limited the district’s ability to get an accurate count of students without stable housing. The district’s latest report suggests that administrators are still struggling with the count.

The district is working to help students and families experiencing housing insecurity, Page said, from providing transportation, school supplies, and uniforms, to offering tutoring in homeless shelters and hotels and ensuring immigrant families without housing get translation services. MSCS also refers families to other community organizations that provide temporary housing to families at risk of homelessness.

But many challenges remain as homelessness continues to skyrocket, Page said, including tracking families who have fluid housing situations and having enough resources to provide them with clothing and household supplies. Page said many of the community agencies the district works with are also overwhelmed.

Page called on the community to address the issue collectively, drawing a link between homelessness and the district’s rising chronic absenteeism. 

District data released in May showed nearly 30% of MSCS students were considered chronically absent from school last year, meaning they missed 10% of school days or more. In September, district officials clashed with Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland over his comments linking rising truancy to juvenile crime and criticizing MSCS for terminating its relationship with the district attorney’s office to enforce truancy laws.

“Every time a family has to change residence, they miss school, and that’s no fault of the family. That’s no fault of the child,” Page said. “We cannot criminalize poverty, and we cannot criminalize our families, because there’s a difference between missing school and legitimate reasons for not sending your child to school. Housing instability is a community problem that’s causing our children not to come to school.”

During Monday’s committee meetings, several MSCS board members said the new data aligns with what they’re hearing from families. 

Board member Stephanie Love said that earlier in the day, a woman from her district called to tell her she’d become homeless after her landlord sold the house she’d been renting.

Board member Amber Huett-Garcia called the data a “gut punch,” and asked the community to cooperate with the district to battle homelessness. 

“We don’t need to be overly political here to say that housing is a human right,” Huett-Garcia said. “Anything we can do, let’s get committed. If you’re listening and you think you can help, come step up.” 

Samantha West is a reporter for Chalkbeat Tennessee, where she covers K-12 education in Memphis. Connect with Samantha at swest@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

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Unsheltered Point-in-Time Count Looks to Quantify Homelessness in Memphis

CREDIT: CAFTH

CAFTH

The 2020 Unsheltered Point-in-Time Count found that 90% of those experiencing homelessness in TN were sheltered.

This week, the Continuum of Care began conducting its bi-annual Unsheltered Point-in-Time Count to monitor the homeless population in Shelby County. Continuum of Care is one of the lead agencies tasked with working towards ending homelessness in Memphis. and group works with different service providers and partners throughout the city to tackle the issue.

The Unsheltered Point-in-Time Count keeps track of how many times people move in and out of shelters in the city, and is federally mandated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. During the count, volunteers go through Memphis and create a list of those experiencing homelessness on the streets and in shelters. That data is then fed into the homelessness management system allowing for an accurate representation of the homeless population in Memphis, as well as nationwide.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected how the Continuum of Care has tackled the count. Planning director Grant Ebbesmeyer explains that while this has been a difficult year, they have still been able to find positives.

“It’s certainly a difficult year. From a broad perspective, it changed how a lot of our partners have worked together, but it’s actually been kind of a positive,” says Ebbesmeyer “We have definitely been able to strengthen relationships with some of our partners, and amongst other partners as well, who in the past might have said we need to do something more on our own, but these days have realized that there is really strength in numbers through coming together and partnering with different agencies.”

This year the Unsheltered Point-in-Time Count will look a little different. Normally, around 100 volunteers would spilt up and begin canvassing the street at 4 am before heading to soup kitchens and meal sites later in the day. Due to COVID-19, Continuum of Care will instead ask 11 different service sites throughout the city to monitor and gather data from those stopping by the shelters. The canvassing period has been elongated to compensate for the change, and the organization will continue to send out small groups of people to gather data each day.

“We know it’s not perfect, but in a lot of ways, this is the best that we can do, working with some of our agencies that have very limited capacity or staff to be able to report data to us on a regular basis,” says Ebbesmeyer. “We definitely didn’t want to miss having a full data set for this year, especially since it’s been a very different year than in the past.”