On Tuesday, demolition crews started tearing down hand-built homes. Some of the people who lived there told News 2 that there’s not enough focus on finding housing for the homeless.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Time has run out for people living in Nashville’s “Old Tent City” just south of downtown.
On Tuesday, demolition crews started tearing down hand-built homes. Some of the people who lived there told News 2 that there’s not enough focus on finding housing for the homeless.
“Some people don’t have a heart. They’re just cold, bitter, rich,” said Arthur “Junebug” McQuiston, who moved to “Old Tent City” five years ago and is experiencing homelessness.
On Tuesday, McQuiston watched demolition crews tear down makeshift homes built near downtown between Hermitage Avenue and the Cumberland River.
“Where are they going to put us? That’s all I want to know, where are they going to put us?” McQuiston told News 2. “The money they’re putting into this stadium — why couldn’t they put that into housing for the homeless? A lot needs to be done, but do they care? No. They’ve got homes to go to.”
Metro Codes said the hand-built homes were unsafe and the city warned of demolition in September. Then, an extension was granted. However, that extension that ended on Tuesday.
April Calvin, the director of Metro’s Office of Homeless Services (OHS) explained that OHS had been working with non-profits to help the residents of Old Tent City, including helping people find short-term fixes.
“We were able to do some fundraising in order to get extra tents, some bins and opportunities for people to be able to store some of the items that they normally utilized and had inside of those structures,” Calvin said. “…Giving people tents, blankets, sheets and towels to help remain comfortably outside is not our goal, nor the mission of the Office of Homeless Services.”
Calvin said that the office’s plan is designed to help connect people with housing resources available through Metro.
“We absolutely do care, and we hear their voices,” Calvin added. “We hear their cry for housing, which is why we really try to help push our system to move a little bit faster.”
The demolition work is expected to be a two-day process. For McQuiston, he said that getting people off the street needs to happen faster.
“They’re just trying to make it harder and harder and harder and they’re one paycheck from being out here themselves,” McQuiston added. “They just don’t realize it.”