Metro got approval from the state to use pallet shelters, or pods, for housing.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — It’s being called a large step forward in the fight to help Nashville’s unhoused population. Metro got approval from the state to use pallet shelters, or pods, for housing.
People in Nashville need a home while housing pods bought for Metro’s COVID response have sat empty. Metro Councilmember Erin Evans saw the potential to house people using pods purchased in response to COVID-19. In 2023, Evans even got a resolution passed to find a way to make that happen. Metro had been waiting on the state’s permission.
On Thursday morning, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said in a post on X that Metro’s Fire Department, the Department of Public Health and the Office of Homeless Services will create a plan to move things forward. That’s a needed shift after demolition began on hand-built structures in “Old Tent City.”
Evans told News 2 that the hope now is that the structures could be utilized by area nonprofits to provide transitional housing. However, there are still more hurdles officials are considering.
“I think everybody would like for this part of the process to move faster than the original process with working with the state,” Evans said. “But at the same time, there’s questions related to the safety and security of these things related to natural disasters.”
There’s already been interest from area non-profits to take the shelters. However, they need to be trained on construction, spacing requirements and placement.
“This is definitely not the end-all be-all of any kind of housing solution,” Evans added. “But [at the] same time, it’s another little, incremental thing that we can make some progress on.”
Evans added that she did not know of any scheduled meetings on how to forward the plan.