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Homelessness
in Greene County
Are people homeless
in Greene
County?
According to the 2007
Point-in-Time count conducted by ARCH
(Appalachian Regional Coalition on Homelessness) and Tusculum
volunteers, there
were about 240* homeless people in Greene County at the time of this
count. While most homeless live in camps,
abandoned
buildings, or shelters, some were traveling through the area, as was
noted in
truck stops and bus stations.
List of Homeless Agencies shown in the map above:
Greeneville
Adventist Community Services Center -
120 Idletime Dr
American Red
Cross - 218 N Main St
Casa of North
East Tennessee - 310 S Main St
Community
Ministries (Food Bank) - 107 N Cutler St
Greene County
Health Department - 810 W Church St
Greeneville
Neighborhood Service Center - 424 E Bernard St
Mission Soup
Kitchen - 715 Wesley Ave
Opportunity
House Homeless Shelter - 203 N Irish St
Mosheim
Child Advocacy Center - 200 Main St
Community
Outreach Center - 1030 Main St
Map notes:
The
locations noted here are of homeless people and/or
homeless camps. They are NOT accurate in
order to protect the privacy of the individuals. Some
locations are those of people en route
to another location and should not be considered as the permanent
placement of
that person. Also, due to the small
number of volunteers used and the vastness of the Cherokee National
Forest,
the southern part of Greene
County
was largely ignored in the Point-in-Time count. Therefore,
data may not accurately reflect the number of
homeless in this area.
What is a
Point-in-Time count?
ARCH conducts counts of the
homeless once or twice a
year. Along with many volunteers from
the local area, ARCH physically locates and interviews homeless people
in a
particular 24-hour period, or point in time. This
gives the organization (and the federal government) a snapshot of
what the homeless population is like in an area at any given time.
What is a “homeless”
person?
Federal Definition
of Homeless:
(From the United
States Code: Title 42, Chapter 119,
Subchapter 1)
11302. General
definition of homeless individual
For purposes of this chapter, the term “homeless” or “homeless
individual or homeless person” includes—
1. an
individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and
adequate nighttime residence; and
2. an
individual who has a primary nighttime
residence that is –
A.
a supervised publicly or
privately operated
shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including
welfare
hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally
ill);
B.
an institution that
provides a temporary
residence fro individuals intended to be institutionalized; or
C. a public or private place not designed for,
or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human
beings.
In other words, a barn,
campsite, or abandoned building
(where many homeless in Greene
County
were found) is NOT
considered a proper dwelling. A person
who is forced to “couch surf”, or move from place to place every night,
is considered homeless.
Where does a person
go when he finds himself homeless?
According to HUD’s website, Greene County’s
nearest shelter is CHIPS in Erwin and the nearest food pantry is Second
Harvest
Food Bank in Gray. Although there are a
limited number of aid organizations in Greene County
(as is noted on the map), they are not listed on HUD’s website. Therefore, homeless people in Greene County
may have a difficult time finding help. Those who need help should
contact ARCH (Appalachian Regional Coalition on Homelessness) at
423.928.2724. This organization serves the NorthEast region of
Tennessee.
* Statistics:
48 homeless people identified. ARCH multiplies this figure by 5 to get a
more accurate account of the homeless population. 48
x 5 = 240 people.
Age:
2 to 55.
Sex: 41% female, 59% male.
Race: 70% white, 30% black.
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