NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For decades on the edge of downtown Nashville, people experiencing homelessness have called Tent City home. Recently, those living in the homeless encampment were told their homes would be demolished to make way for a new park.
Dozens of people live there, located off Hermitage Avenue near the Cumberland River. Residents — with support from the advocacy group Open Table Nashville — are asking for long-term assistance.
A new $70 million dollar park — Wharf Park — is planned for the area.
"I've been out here off and on for about 30 years," Arthur McQuiston said.
While McQuiston stays in a tent, others, like Tyrese Payaton, have built more permanent structures.
"I even got a keypad lock," Payaton said.
Some of these makeshift homes are equipped with water systems, electricity, and other amenities.
"A lot of people are building to get out of tents, and you can't blame us," McQuiston said. "You ever lived in a tent? You ever went camping? You understand what a tent is. It leaks."
Last Thursday, McQuiston and others were notified about plans to demolish the structured homes under the Silliman Evans Bridge and in surrounding areas.
"Since they've shut down other camps, everybody from those camps is coming here, because this is the only camp still open," McQuiston said.
Open Table Nashville and the residents are requesting a 90-day extension to relocate.
“There’s no clarity on what will be provided to residents whose homes are demolished," said Lindsey Krinks, Open Table Nashville cofounder.
Krinks said the extension would give them time to determine how to help residents.
"Especially when you talk about housing people’s pets. A number of people have dogs. Some are couples or have nontraditional families," Krinks added.
The Office of Homeless Services told NewsChannel 5 that the structures are unsafe and have been built without proper oversight or permits. They added that while the encampment is not slated for closure, the structures cannot remain in place.
"It’s a felony to camp and sleep anywhere in Tennessee on state property," Krinks said.
McQuiston hopes their request for an extension is granted.
"We got to figure out what we got to do. Where are we going to go after that?" he said.
The property is owned by the city of Nashville and the state of Tennessee.
Arthur and others sent a petition to TDOT, Mayor Freddie O’Connell, Council member Jacob Kupin and the Nashville community:
We, the residents of Tent City, are coming together to speak out because many of us are facing displacement and the destruction of our homes. Some of us were born and raised in Nashville, others of us came here for a fresh start. Many of us have lived in other camps that were closed down before coming here–Fort Negley, Jefferson St. Bridge, the TA camp, and others. We are taxpayers and we pay for the highways and bridges we live under. We’re no different than anyone else, and everyone is one paycheck or disaster away from homelessness. We’re just asking people to treat us like human beings. The structures our government is planning to bulldoze are our homes. We have memories here and have invested countless hours and our own resources in constructing them. We can’t just pick up and move. We need time. We also need somewhere to go and rebuild until we have long term options.
In Tennessee, it’s a felony to sleep on public property, which is like saying it’s a felony to be homeless. This is an abridgment of our constitutional rights and we, like everyone, deserve to have access to a place to call home.
We are respectfully asking TDOT, Mayor Freddie O’Connell, and Councilmember Jacob Kupin for these things:
A 90-day extension on any demolition process: We need more than two weeks to dismantle the homes we’ve built and relocate our belongings and rebuild. Dumpsters and regular trash pick up. We want to be able to clean up our homes and neighborhood like other Nashville residents. It’smore cost effective for us to be able to clean our area.
Permanent housing: Everyone deserves a home. A campground where people can go when Tent City closes. There is always going to be a need for a place people can go until they get housing. A lot of us have pets and there are lots of couples here. Service organizations also need centralized places to meet with people. Tent City has existed since the early 1980s. All the other big camps have been shut down, shelters are full, and it’s nearly impossible to find housing that we can afford, especially housing that will take our pets. If anyone has to be displaced, they need to have access to storage for their belongings, adequate tents and tarps, and relocation support.
Thank you for your consideration. We don’t plan to leave our homes until we have more time or until these requests are met.
To members of the Nashville community: We ask that you would support us in our immediate requests and needs, and in pushing for long term solutions. People here have been through a lot, and we have to stand up together. Please put people over property.
Respectfully,
William B, Dallas, Arthur “Junebug”, Ross, Tyrese, Chaz “Rocky
The Office of Homeless Services (OHS) statement
There are a number of Metro agencies, including Metro Codes, MNPD, Metro Parks, OHS, as well as the State, who are growing increasingly concerned about the safety of people experiencing homelessness camping near the Silliman Evans overpass.
Unsafe structures have been built without proper oversight or permitting; the structures are using power obtained illegally from nearby sources, and stolen vehicles have been identified in the encampment. Currently, the encampment is not slated for closure. However, the structures may not remain in place. Closing camps require extensive resources and coordination and OHS is eager to work with relevant departments to address these needs.
The Office of Homeless Services (OHS), which normally leads work to transition residents experiencing homelessness out of encampments, is not the lead on this effort. However, we are engaged with the people staying at the encampment and working to get them services and eventually housing. OHS remains committed to Nashville's Encampment Strategy, ensuring all residents are notified and housing secured before a camp closure.
OHS is actively collaborating with the community's prioritization team to identify the next encampment for a housing surge. The assessment of potential sites is ongoing.
In the meantime, outreach workers will continue visiting weekly to ensure all residents are entered into the Homelessness Management Information System and connected to essential resources and support.
TDOT statement
There is no current date that TDOT crews will clear the state-owned property in this area; however, we have put up ‘State Property, No Trespassing’ signage. TDOT does not enforce law. We understand a contractor with Metro will be clearing several structures soon on both state and Metro property. The clearing of structures on state property by Metro was approved by TDOT. TDOT is open to the delay of clearing of these structures at Metro’s discretion.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at aaron.cantrell@newschannel5.com
I LOVE Forrest's stories on the history of NewsChannel 5 as we celebrate our 70th anniversary. Here's a story I wasn't familiar with until recently. Eudora Boxley had a live cooking show in the early days of the station. She may have been the first black on air at NewsChannel 5 and perhaps, one of the first African Americans to have a TV cooking show anywhere in the country. It wasn't until her grandson reached out to me that I even heard of Ms. Boxley. Thankfully, I was able to connect him with Forest to learn more about this great nugget in NewsChannel 5 history.
-Lelan Statom
