KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — It will soon be illegal for unhoused people in Tennessee to camp in parks or any other public properties owned by the local government. This comes at a time when Knoxville leaders said they are seeing more homelessness because of the housing crisis.
Knoxville's Office on Homelessness says it's expecting an increase in the number of unhoused people in the city this year. Shelters are filling up – some even wait-listing people because of the lack of resources.
Wando Stacy works for SEEED, an organization that offers pathways out of poverty for young adults. He said they have seen an increase in folks needing housing assistance.
"It's just a really sad situation because there are a lot of people in the right places doing the right work," Stacy said. "The issue that comes across the board is funding."
Camping on public property will become a felony in Tennessee on July 1, 2022. According to new research from Science Advances, one in three adults in the U.S. has been arrested at least once, a strikingly high number compared with many other countries.
Now, a new study reveals one of the implications of that figure: nearly half of unemployed U.S. men have a criminal conviction by 35 years old, which makes it harder to get a job.
"To criminalize me just because I'm not able to make enough money to live is not fair," Stacy said. "We're about to experience another one of those upticks and these people didn't ask to be in a situation like this. I've been homeless myself and had to live in a car.”
Ivana Pierce has been homeless for around a month now, she said. It’s her first time finding herself in a situation where she has nowhere else to go.
"My first day at KARM I was scared. I was terrified. I was freaking out because I had never been in a homeless shelter before," she said. "I'm going to be honest, you know, it's crazy out there. I don't know nothing about life but I'm learning each and every day about life — how to survive in the real world.”
Surviving is hard enough without having to worry about the law, she said. She said laws like the recent ban on public camping make homelessness feel like a crime.
"No one wants to be homeless," she said. "Going to jail because they have no place to stay. It's not right and it's time to make a difference to the homeless people."
Even though she works daily to get her life of independence back on track, Pierce said, it's getting harder for unhoused people to feel like they're a part of the Knoxville community.
"To everyone who is listening, don't give up hope, faith or Christianity. Help people around the world. Love them and cherish them. Help the homeless people and the communities. Help each other," Pierce said.
Pierce has become a rising star at KARM. She has been through the LaunchPoint Life Skills Training program at the organization and is getting ready to graduate.
She told 10News she has a job lined up at Weigel’s and said she managed to find the job despite her learning disabilities. She said she plans to continue living at KARM while she saves money for her own apartment. She has applied to Pellissippi State where she plans to study dance and psychology.
Pierce is speaking at KARM's LaunchPoint Life Skills Training Program graduation at 10 a.m. on Friday at KARM on North Broadway. Anyone is welcome to attend.
The city said it is working on homelessness solutions. Homeless Program Coordinator Shawn Griffith said details will be released on Tuesday, May 31.
SEEED and KARM are non-profit community organizations aimed at helping people obtain a better quality of life. To learn more, donate or volunteer at SEEED, click here. To learn more, donate or volunteer at KARM, click here.