KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville-Knox County Office of Housing Stability is working on a 5-year strategic plan to address homelessness in the area. As part of that plan, the office is collecting input from the community about homelessness.
There are listening sessions set for this week, aiming to collect input on the plan from the public, educators and law enforcement. Leaders are hoping to know how homelessness is impacting people in the area.
In the last five years, more than 5,000 people have been taken off the streets and now have housing, However, the number of people needing services has increased in the same amount of time, according to data on homelessness in Knoxville. The biggest factors behind homelessness included a lack of affordable housing and evictions, the data showed.
After considering input from the public, the plan is set to roll out in the spring. The next session is set for Wednesday at the South Knoxville Community Center on Maryville Pike. That meeting has a start time of 5:30 p.m.