CHATTANOOGA, TN / ACCESSWIRE / October 1, 2024 / Today, Community Solutions announced that a Southeast Tennessee region, including Chattanooga and 11 counties with 375,000 residents, became the seventh community nationwide to obtain real-time by-name data on all single adults experiencing homelessness.

"You can't solve homelessness if you don't know who is experiencing it," said Beth Sandor, chief program officer at Community Solutions. "With comprehensive by-name data in tow, leaders in Southeast Tennessee now have the foundation to make homelessness rare and brief in the region."

Most communities rely on the annual Point-in-Time Count , which only tallies the number of sheltered and unsheltered people once a year. Quality by-name data is a comprehensive source of information on every person experiencing homelessness, including their name, history with homelessness, and health and housing needs. Outreach teams and case managers collect the data with consent and update it monthly.

Unlike the annual Point-in-Time count, real-time data allows cities to evaluate whether their strategies reduce homelessness over time. It also enables communities to prioritize resources and monitor whether homelessness reductions are racially equitable.

Chattanooga and Southeast Tennessee reached this milestone through participating in Built for Zero , an initiative of nearly 150 cities and counties using data to measurably and equitably end homelessness. Next, the Southeast Tennessee team will focus on reaching functional zero for all populations -- when the number of people experiencing homelessness doesn't exceed the region's capacity for moving people into permanent housing.

Six other Built for Zero communities -- Fairfax County, Va. , Washoe County, Nev. , Missoula, Mont. , St. Louis, Mo ., Thurston County, Wash. , and South Central Indiana -- have secured by-name data for all single adults. More than 75 Built for Zero communities have achieved quality by-name data for at least one homeless population.

"Through the coordinated efforts of partners across our region, we've successfully closed gaps in our homelessness data," said Mackenzie Kelly, executive director at Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition . "Now, we're more prepared than ever to drive homelessness down in our community."

About Community Solutions

Community Solutions is a nonprofit committed to making homelessness rare and brief. It leads Built for Zero , a network of nearly 150 communities using a data-driven methodology to improve local housing and homelessness response systems and the impact they can achieve. To date, 14 communities have reached functional zero veteran and or chronic homelessness, a milestone for homelessness being rare and brief for a population. Learn more at www.community.solutions or follow us at @CmtySolutions .

MEDIA CONTACT:

Alden Iaconis
(202) 516-6593
alden@keybridge.biz

SOURCE: Community Solutions