KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville and Knox County leaders working to address homelessness said they are still searching for a provider to take over operations of a low-barrier shelter serving homeless people. The Joint Office of Housing Stability said if it does not find an organization by March 31, the shelter will close.
The shelter is named "The Foyer" and is a collaboration between the Salvation Army and the Volunteer Ministry Center. It was meant to be a low-barrier, overnight shelter where people facing emergency situations could sleep safely. It has 30 beds and is located on Broadway.
In late January, the Volunteer Ministry Center said it couldn't afford to continue managing the shelter and would need to stop running it. Since then, the Joint Office of Housing Stability said it has been working to find a new service provider with the capacity needed to take over operations.
Phoenix, a 9-month-old, sits right next to his mother and makes happy noises as he plays with his toy. Life is good through his eyes. Genesis Hardin is a single mother who's currently receiving help from the shelter.
"Right after I delivered him, my landlord decided that my housing wasn't safe for him and she kind of just said, I couldn't come back to the house," Hardin said. "And so I left from the hospital with nowhere to go."
Jared Bowers is a father of three and also receives help from the shelter. His story is different. Over the last few years, he said he has not been able to afford to live on his own. He has had a few challenges to overcome.
"I kind of went through a bit of, you know, a depression period, where I just hated myself, hated my life and, kind of drank to cope," Bowers said.
Neither have a home, and both said there's a level of guilt that may come with situations they face.
"When I first got here, I had a really hard time just like being a mother," Hardin said. "Because I felt like I was failing him in some type of way. So that was probably my biggest struggle."
Bower's said he had a similar struggle.
"Living in places like these, as good as they can be, part of you feels like a failure," Bowers said. "Just tell myself that, you know, you're letting your kids down, you know, you're failing in life — failing as a father."
The Salvation Army picked them both up when they had nowhere to go. Cameron Henderson, commander for the Knoxville area of the Salvation Army, said over the past few years the need for housing has been growing.
The Salvation Army houses anywhere from 90 to 95 people at night, Henderson said, and their goal is to help as many as possible escape the problems they're having.
"The Foyer was part of that first step. The Salvation Army, we also serve as an emergency shelter, people can leave straight from their emergency situation and get to safety," Henderson said. "As they become safe, and feel safe and rested, then they begin to think through and set goals, 'What do I need to do?' That first step, having a safe place to escape to whether it's off the streets or whether it's from a dangerous situation, it's needed so badly."
But The Foyer may soon close its doors. This space is part of the Salvation Army and Henderson said it's currently looking at what that space needs to be next. Erin Read, executive director of the Knoxville-Knox County Office of Housing Stability, said it's been a struggle to find someone to take over.
"It's a shelter that's open and needs staffing all night, finding staff for night shifts has been very difficult. Covering the costs to run the shelter has been difficult," Read said. "The city wants to do what is best for the citizens. And that includes both housing and unhoused people, and the county as well — city and county government both are actively talking and looking for ways to serve these populations to help them find permanent housing."
Having a shelter helps, but Read called it a "waystation," and described it as a place that helps people on their way to permanent housing.
Bowers said his path and struggles taught him a lot, and right now he's working on finding a career and taking his life to the next level. But he said, having a shelter was part of that journey.
"I finally learned to like, actually, like myself. I gained confidence, strength, independence," Bowers said.
As for baby Phoenix and his mom, they're finally on the last step waiting for their home to become available.
"The apartment that I'm looking at moving into, it's being built right now," Hardin said. "So we're just gonna hold out until then."