Number of homeless families rises by half

Rhonda Harrison and her two children became homeless after her landlord went bankrupt and her East Chattanooga duplex was put up for auction.

“It wasn’t even my fault,” Harrison said.

In just three months, the 24-year-old went from working as a photographer to being laid off and forced from her home.

The unemployed single mother and her two children, 5-year-old Paradise and 3-year-old Junior Gains, are included in a 51 percent increase this year in the number of local families who were homeless at a single point in time — Jan. 27, according to the Chattanooga Homeless Coalition.

“We’re seeing more first-time homeless families due to the economy with joblessness and increases in housing cost,” said Mary Simons, the coalition’s executive director. “The whole country is seeing an increase in family homelessness.”

That’s the largest increase in family homelessness recorded here since the point-in-time homeless count started in 2001, Simons said, and the most jarring finding in this year’s results. The self-reported survey of area homeless people was conducted through the 11-county Southeast Tennessee region.

However, Mary Ellen Galloway, executive director of the Interfaith Homeless Network of Greater Chattanooga, said people should not think the total population of homeless people is included in the point-in-time count.

“It’s a snapshot of homelessness,” she said. “All we can do is walk around on foot or drive and try to find the homeless people. Sometimes they know about the count and they don’t want to be counted, so they leave.”

Families are even less visible because they stay tripled and doubled up on someone’s sofa, she said. People with children often don’t want to be counted because they are afraid the kids will be taken away if it’s known that they have no place to live, Galloway said.

And there’s concern that the number of homeless families in Chattanooga could rise again this year unless the Homeless Prevention and Repaid Rehousing program — a federal grant due to expire in September — is renewed.

The Chattanooga Homeless Coalition managed the two-year, $1.2 million federal grant, which was part of the federal stimulus package. In addition to assisting homeless people who are single, the money enabled 104 families to remain in their homes. The families included 125 adults and 169 children.

Money also was used to provide deposits and first month’s rent for 20 families, including 25 adults and 31 children who were temporarily homeless, Simons said.

“The stimulus package was fantastic to help people stay in homes or get new homes,” Simons said. “It gave us a boost, but we need to work as a community to help when the funds are no longer available.”

where to go?

It was four days after Christmas when Harrison first found herself without a place to stay.

“I was stressed, just stressed out,” said Harrison. “I had Christmas and two kids and I’m wondering where to go and how to get all my furniture in storage.”

The bank that bought the duplex paid her $1,300 to move out, she said, but it would only release the money after she moved.

And she had little money of her own. She was laid off from her job in October, less than a month before getting the notice that her house was going up for auction. She had worked for a local photography company for more than two years before the layoff.

Harrison and her two children ended up staying with her sister for three nights before moving into a shelter operated by the Interfaith Homeless Network.

All the families counted in the Jan. 27 survey were in shelters at the time of the count, coalition officials said. Several homeless families who were not included in the count live with family members or friends, officials said.

The problem is that the shelters are always full, Simons said. So a family that suddenly finds itself homeless one day probably won’t be able to find available shelter space that same night, she said.

Meanwhile, foreclosures are leaving more people without a roof over their heads.

Mildred Taylor, a case manager for Interfaith, said she talks to at least two families a month calling from Chattanooga and the North Georgia area who are homeless because of foreclosure on their homes.

FINDING A HOME

Harrison and her two preschoolers were homeless until Feb. 11, when Interfaith helped find them a two-bedroom apartment in Red Bank.

She’s grateful for the help she has received through the network, which gave her and her children a temporary place to live, helped her with child care and provided activities for her children. She returns to Interfaith weekly to visit friends and attend classes.

“I came here [to Interfaith] with two mini-suitcases,” Harrison said. “I left with an apartment, the suitcases and six garbage bags [full of clothes and toys]”

And even though she still faces challenges, including finding a job, having a place to live helps.

“I try to stay positive,” she said. “I tell myself when you’re down to nothing, God is up to something.”

AVERAGE AGE FIGURE QUESTIONED

A series of newspaper ads appearing in the Chattanooga Times Free Press and elsewhere in recent months proclaimed that the average age of a homeless person in the Tennessee Valley is now 9.

But there’s some question about whether that assertion — used in ads sponsored by the national Salvation Army — is accurate.

The number has been challenged nationally, and Chattanooga Homeless Coalition officials say they don’t have numbers to support an average age of 9. However, they explained that the average age of homeless people depends on what population is counted.

Among those who are chronically homeless, the average person is probably a male in his mid-50s, officials say.

But among families, the average age could be that of a minor because there are usually two or three children who are homeless for every adult, said Mary Simons, the coalition’s executive director.

Officials with the Interfaith Homeless Network of Greater Chattanooga said the 9-year-old reference isn’t far-fetched if the population counted is homeless families.

“That’s not unbelievable; you see how many kids we’ve had,” said Doretha Saunders, case manager over centralized intake at Interfaith.

In all of 2010, the network assisted 463 homeless families, she said. Those families included 564 adults and 1,002 children.

IHN Families Night Out at the Tivoli

Following the magnificent performance of Menotti’s opera, “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” the young father said that he now knows to not be afraid of music that has not been in his life up to this point. He is anticipating taking his family to a symphony concert in the next few months. This would not be noteworthy if his family were not homeless and temporarily housed at a Chattanooga area church.

Through a grant from Opera Volunteers International, the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Guild provided a week of musical education and activity for 5 area homeless families while partnering with Interfaith Homeless Network. IHN is a non-profit organization which uses a network of churches to house homeless families. The families are given support, training, and counseling while receiving loving care from church members. “Amahl and the Night Visitors” was chosen as the centerpiece of the project because of its comfortable length, its being sung in English, and the theme of the opera which resonates with the families’ situation.

According to Gloria Stewart, CSO Guild President, “The CSO Guild was honored in being selected by OVI for a grant for our participation with IHN. This collaboration was a rewarding experience for all of our volunteers and we were excited to have “Amahl and the Night Visitors” performed for our special guests from IHN.” Mary Earl, member of the Board of Opera Volunteers International added, “I have been so impressed with this project.  It has to be one of the best applications OVI has received.  This is the type of project we love to support.”

After viewing DVDs of the original production that had been provided to the two churches, the five families heard presentations from CSO Guild docents using a guide written especially for this project. The tone was light with emphasis placed on the experience. Each family was given a beautifully illustrated book of “Amahl…,” and each person was provided with a booklet that had been prepared for their education and enjoyment. The booklet contained a word search, crossword puzzle, and scrambled words that related to the production. There was a page for a drawing or writing following the performance. Pictures and bios of the principals gave a place for autographs, and a gift certificate for a ticket to a future CSO Masterworks concert was included.

Performance night was a true collaboration. The CSO Guild provided T-shirts for all of the participants to wear to the opera. IHN provided volunteers to bring dinner to their headquarters for the families and a volunteer to keep the younger children there. Van drivers, a case worker, and the IHN Executive Director accompanied the families to the Tivoli Theatre where they were welcomed by CSO Guild members. CSO staff, “Amahl…” cast and crew members, and Maestro Robert Bernhardt conducted the group on a fun and informational backstage tour. Explanations of sets, props, costuming, rehearsals, cast, and orchestra responsibilities and preparation were fun and educational.

Mary Ellen Galloway, Executive Director of IHN said, “It is so important for families to have opportunities to have time together, exposure to new experiences, and to just plain have fun.  Our families are no different. Homelessness is a dispiriting experience; however, the IHN families were given the opportunity to escape the stressfulness of assembling new lives and experience opera and the symphony together with their families, wearing beautiful tee shirts that were the envy of those in attendance. The backstage tour, meeting the actors and Mr. Bernhardt, seeing the makeup area, costumes, and set was an exciting and educational experience for all of us.  We felt like VIPs and very welcomed. All involved need to know that when we left, and said goodbye to each other, we were singing in our opera voices after a memorable evening of entertainment, education and fun.”

The CSO Guild is grateful to Mary Earl and Opera Volunteers International, Kathy Allison who conceived the idea of the collaboration, Maestro Robert Bernhardt for his heartfelt support and participation, Mary Ellen Galloway and the IHN churches and volunteers, and most of all, to the families who participated.

Children's Playroom

Many children have made use of the delightful playroom at the IHN main location.  A full kitchen, play area, movie viewing, and lounge area make this a great place for kids to have fun and make friends.

Stable Housing

IHN assists families in their housing search and links them to community housing resources, with the goal of rapid re-housing. Locating affordable (and available) housing, providing support services, assisting with employment searches, and following-up with families is how IHN works to end family homelessness.

Jobs at IHN

Come work for IHN!

Millions of Smiles

The IHN team has millions of good reasons to be smiling about the headway we've made in the past few years.  Children and families staying together and getting back on their feet.

Seeking New Board Members

The skill sets we need to be looking for in new board members are the following:

• Legal
• Banking
• Event Planning
• IT
• Business/Corporate executives
• Human Resource
• Physical Plant (architect, engineer)
  
• Transportation - vans and maintenance

Celebrity Singoff

IHN Celebrity Singoff The Interfaith Homeless Network (IHN) is a transitional day and overnight shelter program for homeless families with children and adolescents. In partnership with 50 area congregations, IHN offers food, transportation, life skills classes, case management, supportive and follow-up services and links to jobs and housing. IHN's goal is to end family homelessness by helping homeless families become stable, employed, housed and self-sufficient. Who:  Interfaith Homeless Network (IHN) What:  Celebrity Sing Off When:  Thursday, June 23, 2011 @ 7 PM Where:  Lindsay Street Hall Why:  To keep homeless families together and support IHN’s efforts to transition homeless families with children and adolescents to stability, employment, housing and self-sufficiency. Come and enjoy an evening of fun while helping to end family homelessness.  Champagne and desserts served. Singoff Sponsors! Thank you to our sponsors and our participants! Congratulations to Mike Griffin (Voter's Choice) and Adam Fall (Judge's Choice)! Get Tickets to the Singoff! Want to go to the Singoff? Tickets are only $20 per person! Preorder yours when you vote! (It all goes in one cart!) Closed for 2011! AMANDA BUCHANAN– Founding owner of Fleetwood Development Amanda Buchanan is a founding owner of Fleetwood Development. She has 10 years of experience in commercial real estate as a developer of the historic Fleetwood property in downtown Chattanooga as well as having an active role in the management of several family-owned businesses and investments. Mrs. Buchanan is on the board of the Chattanooga Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, The Children's Advocacy Board, and is also on the Community Advisory Board of WTCI. She is active in the Southeast Tennessee Political Action Committee. She enjoys traveling with her family. Closed for 2011! SOUNDS LIKE: JANIS JOPLIN DR. ADAM FALL – Director of the Hospitalist Group at Erlanger Hospital Dr. Adam Fall is best described as an 80’s power ballad in a lab coat.  As the director of the hospitalist group at Erlanger Medical Center, Dr. Fall can be found humming on his way to conference rooms and patient rooms alike.  Adam has been singing since he was a young child, performing solos with the adult choir at his church and even singing on live TV at the age of four.  Though he decided on a career in medicine, he is never far from music, performing in weddings, concerts, churches and other venues on a regular basis.  His voice has also been captured on CD in various recordings and his voice always stands out from the crowd – how many men, after all, can belt a Whitney Houston song and sing along with Journey’s leading man?  When he's not singing, Adam loves to read, shop for furniture, and play with his German Shepherd Cartouche. Closed for 2011! MIKE GRIFFIN – Senior Vice President of Business Banking at First Tennessee Bank. Michael Griffin, an executive with First Tennessee and president of the Leadership Chattanooga Alumni Association, is the 2010 recipient of the Tennessee Association of Community Leadership (TACL) Servant Leadership Award. Mr. Griffin, who is senior vice president of business banking at First Tennessee, was a member of the Leadership Chattanooga team that helped launch the “Take Root” program. Mr. Griffin is a member of the Leadership Chattanooga curriculum and selection committees. He has served as chair of the community education committee and helped assemble a Leadership Chattanooga Alumni Association in Action Series on the impact of Volkswagen’s coming to Chattanooga. Mr. Griffin also serves on the boards of the Downtown Council of the Chattanooga Chamber, Chattanooga Hamilton Place Rotary Club, and the UTC Alumni Council. Closed for 2011! SOUNDS LIKE: JAMES TAYLOR JIM BREXLER - CEO Erlanger Hospital Jim Brexler joined Erlanger Health System as President and CEO on March 1, 2004, after being selected by the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Hospital Authority Board of Trustees following a nationwide search. Brexler was formerly a Vice Chancellor of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center where he served from 1999 to 2004 as the chief executive officer of the Health Care Services Division (Louisiana's statewide public hospital system composed of nine hospitals and associated clinics). He recently was awarded the Tennessee Grassroots Champion Award by the American Hospital Association. This was to recognize him for his exceptional leadership in generating grassroots and community activity in support of a hospital’s mission. Dr. Brexler served as chairman of the THA board of directors in 2009-2010 and currently serves as immediate past chairman. He also has chaired the association’s insurance reform task force, patient safety council and THA Solutions Group board of directors. Closed for 2011! SOUNDS LIKE: GARTH BROOKS RACHAEL WELCH – Manager of Business Support for the Tennessee Valley Authority Rachael Welch joined the Tennessee Valley Authority in 2002 as a Web Developer in Information Technology, and currently servers as Manager, Business Support. With this role, Welch is responsible for the marketing and communications of IT, as well as workforce and training plans. Welch is a graduating member of the Leadership Chattanooga class of 2011 and is serving her third year as Officer of Chattanooga Friends. Welch is an active community leader, and has served in a myriad of positions, including the March of Dimes Mission Family of 2008, Family Teams Chair for the March for Babies, co-chair of the Ronald McDonald House 2010 Share-a-Night campaign, and Chattanooga Heart Ball design committee member, as well as serving as marketing lead for multiple non-profit fundraising campaigns. Additionally, Welch holds the Day of Caring Coordinator role for the Greater Chattanooga Area Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), is serving her eighth year on the CFC Leadership Team, and has organized and led TVA in annual March of Dimes and T.C. Thompson events. Welch's story of her premature twins has been featured locally, and she continues to speak on behalf Chattanooga area non-profit agencies. Welch is a graduate of Covenant College, has been married for 12 years to her husband Chris, and has three children, Eli, and twins Zeke and Emmie. Closed for 2011!