Long-awaited downtown apartment complex for chronically homeless breaks ground

Nashville leaders broke ground Tuesday on the city's first permanent supportive housing center — a long-awaited development that will provide housing and on-site support services to people experiencing chronic homelessness.

The $25 million development at 600 2nd Ave. North will feature 90 residential units alongside office space for managers and case workers as well as an on-site clinic. The five-story building is slated to complete construction by fall 2023.

It's a step toward building much-needed capacity in Nashville for housing and wrap-around services for disabled residents who have been homeless for more than a year and those who experience repeated periods of homelessness.

Elizabeth Mallard lived unhoused for a decade before entering transitional housing and ultimately moving into her own apartment. She said Tuesday that the center represents a "life or death change." It will provide the safety of housing and, crucially, the support of case managers who can help people learn foundational life skills, problem-solve through challenges and navigate mental health and substance abuse recovery.

"This facility here will give them the resources," Mallard said. "They'll be able to have someone guiding them the entire way to be on a road of recovery and a successful road."

Mayor John Cooper said the development represents progress toward making Nashville a "housing first" city. His 2023 budget proposal includes an investment of $50 million in one-time American Rescue Plan funds to support Nashville's homelessness response and an additional $25 million toward building more permanent supportive housing.

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"Each of us needs a safe place to sleep before it is possible to focus on getting a job, addressing substance abuse or receiving mental health services," Cooper said.

An external review presented to Metro Council members last week identified Nashville's lack of permanent supportive housing and its approach to serving chronically homeless residents as some of the city's most pressing shortcomings. The review estimated Nashville will need more than 600 permanent supportive housing beds over the next five years to serve chronically homeless adults.

This center, located near public transit lines, will feature an enclosed bicycle storage room, computer room, multi-purpose room, a laundry room on each residential floor and balconies with Cumberland River views.

The development was originally slated to open to its first residents in December but was delayed due to design changes that Cooper has said will increase its residents' quality of life.

While the number of people sleeping outdoors in Davidson County decreased from about 2,016 in 2020 to about 1,916 this year, last year was the deadliest year on record for people experiencing homelessness in Nashville.

District 19 Council member Freddie O'Connell, who has been critical of the project's two and a half year delay, said his word for Tuesday was "finally," pointing to the morning's scorching heat as a reminder of how important housing is to survival.

"This is urgent. This isn't just affordable housing... this is housing that supports people whose life circumstances might mean that year-round housing is unattainable no matter what your income target is," O'Connell said.

The center's construction also aligns with the goals of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's House America Program, which challenges cities to expand their inventory of permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing units. Nashville is working to join the program, which offers additional opportunities for federal grant funds.

Mallard, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teen and spent years "self-medicating" with alcohol, said she struggled with asking for help for years and experienced setbacks that many people experiencing homelessness face, including the repeated theft of her ID and birth certificate. Her housing navigator became her friend and support for helping her navigate those challenges and find proper resources.

"I just needed someone to come up to me and say, 'Hello, I see you. I'm not giving up on you,'" Mallard said. "And that's what happened."

Cassandra Stephenson covers Metro government for The Tennessean. Reach her at ckstephenson@tennessean.com or (731) 694-7261. Follow Cassandra on Twitter at @CStephenson731.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville apartment complex for chronically homeless breaks ground