Column
Time Without Housing Is Harm: Why Nashville Needs a Real Homelessness System
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In Nashville, we know that at least 3,500 – 4,000 people are living without housing at this very moment, many for months at a time.
The Contributor (https://thecontributor.org/author/will-connelly/)
In Nashville, we know that at least 3,500 – 4,000 people are living without housing at this very moment, many for months at a time.
During the ice storm in late January, a street newspaper vendor died while living outside. This is not an unpredictable tragedy unfortunately.
Why Tennessee’s homelessness laws reveal more about us than about those we punish
People asking for money on street corners. Individuals sleeping in doorways of businesses, in the shadow of towering developments. Encampments springing up on public and private land. A Supreme Court decision criminalizing people for sleeping outdoors when no shelter is available. Families sleeping in cars.
Wipond’s investigative work exposes the often-coercive nature of psychiatric interventions and the troubling expansion of mental health laws that infringe on individual rights and autonomy.
Vicki Stinnett, affectionately known as “Airstream,” is a familiar sight on the MLK Jr. Memorial Bridge, whether she’s walking, biking, or rallying the North Nashville community.
The annual breakfast was held at Belmont’s Ayers Center, where we recognized the top street newspaper sellers of 2023.
The addition of bollards and fresh paint to delineate cycling spaces is acknowledged as progress by the local biking community, yet many still regard these steps as inadequate.
Nashvillians who hope for bicycling to become a practical, safe and sustainable daily mode of transportation know the city has a long way to go to reach that goal.
The Contributor’s Executive Director Will Connelly provides his insight to answer this question.