The total number of homelessness in Nashville rose 38%, from 2,481 people in April 2023, to 3,412 in April 2024, according to city data. (Adina Olteanu / Getty Images)
From her experience working with the homeless in the city, Young attributed a large part of the rise to the increased cost of living in Nashville.
"There is not a way for these people to get up and running. They can’t get affordable housing. Sometimes they can’t get the treatment that they need for mental health," she told WKRN.
The fair market rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the Nashville area increased to $1,442, a nearly $200 rise from last year, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Young said without more affordable housing options, she fears the issue will worsen.
"I guarantee you it’s going to double from where we are now," Young said.
The city’s homeless problem has grown despite its Metro Council approving $50 million in American Rescue Plan funding to fight homelessness in 2022. (The Washington Post / Contributor)
American Rescue Plan funding to fight homelessness in 2022.
India Pungarcher, outreach specialist for Open Table Nashville, told WKRN that some of the new housing the funding is going toward hasn’t been built yet. Still, she said, the city will need more resources to tackle the homelessness issue entirely.
"If a one-time $50 million investment was going to end homelessness in Nashville, you know, homelessness wouldn’t exist anymore, right?" Pungarcher said. "We need hundreds of millions of dollars in order to, you know, even just make a dent in homelessness here in Nashville."
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.