Would a full-time homeless shelter in Franklin help address homelessness in Williamson County?

Kevin Riggs drives his truck around the city of Franklin, surveying abandoned cars, rundown homes, laundromats and parking lots for signs of people spending the night outside.

He knows the neighborhoods where men and women experiencing homelessness are likely to be.

"If I haven't seen them in a week, I'll go and try to check it out," Riggs, who pastors Franklin Community Church, said. "It sounds trite, but it's a calling."

After doing this outreach for years, he's seen an uptick in the number of men and women sleeping outside or couch surfing.

He knows many of them by name, including William McLemore and Amy Webb, a couple who have been sleeping outside for more than a year.

The pair, both born and raised in Franklin, spend their days walking to get fast food with limited funds then attempting to sleep on a family member's porch.

They have no blankets. Their few layers of clothing do little to fight off the cold, so they get up periodically throughout the night to walk around, sometimes getting a cup of coffee to warm up.

"It makes me feel unconsidered," McLemore said. He makes $12 an hour as a landscaper, but winter weather has left him without work. "I'm a law abiding citizen with inaccessible help."

Tears formed in his eyes as his exhale was visible on the chilly day outside.

"Pastor Kevin has driven me and (Amy) a long way, but I can't wear out my welcome with him. Sometimes, I may have tears in my eyes to lean on him, and other times I have to keep my head up and move on.

"But there's nowhere to go."

Riggs does what he can to help them, but housing resources are limited in Franklin and Williamson County, which has no permanent homeless shelter.

He used to send people to hotels, but in the wake of the area's tourism boom, the rooms are typically booked or expensive — and it's not a permanent solution.

"It is difficult for me because I don't know where to send them," Riggs said.

Chris Whitney, founder of One Generation Away, has seen poverty and homelessness in the county firsthand through his organization's mobile food pantry.

"Homelessness in Williamson County is the best kept secret internally," he said. "The misconception is that because we live in such a wealthy county, no one could be homeless.

"It’s on the increase, not decrease. People would be amazed at how many live in their cars."

No emergency shelter available this winter

This year, according to Riggs, there is no emergency shelter available in Franklin.

He had been operating a bare-bones emergency shelter for men in a warehouse owned by One Generation Away, but the nonprofit moved, and Riggs lost the space.

He's desperately searching for anywhere to house men and women when temperatures turn frigid.

"It's been more stress because I don't have anywhere to put them," Riggs said. "There's one guy who used to be homeless who now has an apartment. I went to him and said, 'If this guy stays with you on cold nights, I'll help you with your rent.'"

Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson said he believed the Red Cross office in Franklin had a few cots available for emergency shelter, but calls to the Red Cross were not returned. Some churches operate their own programs to help people experiencing homelessness, but there is no available list of cold weather shelters that serve Williamson County residents.

For residents of Davidson County, a number of Franklin churches provide shelter on dangerously cold nights through Room in the Inn, a homeless services nonprofit in Nashville.

Through the organization, nearly 200 churches in Nashville and surrounding counties provide shelter and a hot meal for those in need. Many of those partner churches are in Franklin, according to Room in the Inn Community Development Director Melanie Barnett.

Lt. Charles Warner with the Franklin Police Department said he sometimes used those churches when seeking shelter for someone he found on the streets.

However, those churches have not been made available to Riggs.

Riggs has advocated for years to Franklin officials that the city needs to come up with a long-term plan for its homeless population, including a permanent shelter.

"I've been pushing for it for years, but it's the 'not in my backyard' mentality, and the fear that if you build it, they will come," Riggs said. "It's hard to build the consensus that this is a need and that these people need to be taken care of because they’re our residents."

Addressing homelessness in Franklin is not on the city's immediate capital project list, according to Mayor Ken Moore.

Valencia Breckenridge, president of Graceworks Ministries, echoed Riggs' call for a permanent shelter. The Franklin-based organization provides food, clothing and financial assistance to Williamson County people in need. The nonprofit is frequently tasked with finding shelter for homeless men and women who come to their office with nowhere to turn.

"I think the shelter is tremendously necessary. There are a lot of moms who are homeless with children," Breckenridge said. "We should not shun or deny that we have poor people or homeless people."

Dr. Kay Boan, Franklin Special School District supervisor of federal programs, said it has been frustrating not having a place to send students who have nowhere to stay.

"It would be nice to have some place for people to stay, even for a month, where we can get to talk them through, 'What are your next steps?'" Boan said.

Inconsistent homeless data across county

Getting an accurate count of Williamson County's homeless population is difficult, Riggs said, because so many of the homeless are hidden in hotels or doubled up with relatives and friends.

Brentwood doesn't record its homeless data. Neither does Nolensville.

Fairview officials did not respond to requests for homeless data.

The county, required annually to report its homelessness numbers to a statewide study, has reported zero in recent years, according to Williamson County Mayor's Office Chief of Staff Diane Giddens.

Data from the city of Franklin, Franklin Police Department and schools offer an idea of how many people are experiencing homelessness in the area:

City of Franklin: In 2018, the city reported five unsheltered homeless and 22 homeless residing at Bridges, a domestic violence shelter for women.

In 2018, the city reported five unsheltered homeless and 22 homeless residing at Bridges, a domestic violence shelter for women. Franklin Police Department: As of Jan. 4, 15 people were documented as being doubled up, living on the streets or living in their vehicle.

As of Jan. 4, 15 people were documented as being doubled up, living on the streets or living in their vehicle. Franklin Special School District: 109 students have been recorded as homeless in the current school year. Boan said one family currently lives in their vehicle.

109 students have been recorded as homeless in the current school year. Boan said one family currently lives in their vehicle. Williamson County Schools: 133 students — typically older students — have been recorded as homeless in the current school year, and 39 of those are unaccompanied without a legal guardian.

The definition of homeless that schools use under the federal McKinney–Vento Act includes students who are doubled up with other families, living in hotels or a shelter, or unsheltered.

Nonprofit leaders have counted higher numbers of homeless residents than local government officials.

Graceworks, which is based in Franklin but serves the entire county, served 30 unsheltered people just in the last three months of 2018.

From June 2017 to July 2018, the nonprofit served 220 individuals experiencing homelessness in some form.

In Fairview, Graceworks West Senior Manager Kristin Ertel said the nonprofit arm assisted 143 individuals experiencing homelessness in the area.

She estimates 100 people between the ages of 16 and 30 are homeless with no physical address.

"Especially in that younger generation age, we are seeing families that have lived here for years that are now homeless," Ertel said.

Ertel and Whitney both said they have seen families who moved to the county for its high quality schools face unexpected financial issues like job loss. The expensive housing market and limited affordable housing leave the families facing homelessness.

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Churches could be key in addressing homeless need

In 2018, One Generation Away served 1.5 million meals to men, women and children in need of food in Williamson County. That number doubled since 2017.

Whitney said a permanent shelter in Williamson is "tremendously necessary" and that it will take more than city officials to tackle the issue.

"To fix this problem we need the church, the business community, the government and nonprofits to come together and find a solution for this. We need the church first and foremost," Whitney said. "This is our backyard. Let's tend to it. Tending it doesn't mean moving something out."

Riggs will continue to implore Franklin city officials to come up with a long-term plan for the city's homeless population and a short-term plan for this winter. However, he also points to churches for help.

"Our mayor is a compassionate person, but his hands are tied. I think in some of the larger churches, if the pastors said, 'This needs to get done,' it would get done," Riggs said. "In these churches are almost every city representative.

"We need the city to help because of zoning issues, but the church needs to do it."

Leaders with Graceworks would like to see programs alongside whatever shelter the county provided. The multifaceted approach is key to transitioning people into long-term housing and employment, Ertel said.

"I think that's sometimes where Williamson gets it wrong is that they see the homeless population as a burden, whereas they're not looking at that most of these individuals are able-bodied and talented people," she said. "If we look at them like they're just trouble or a burden, that's the result you're going to get.

"Given a different circumstance, they could give back to our community."

Reach Amelia Ferrell Knisely at aferrell@tennessean.com, 615-210-8286 or follow @ameliaknisely on Twitter.

By the numbers

Williamson County Schools: 133 students – typically older students – are recorded as homeless during the current year.

Franklin Special School District: 109 students are recorded as homeless during the current school year. A district official said one family currently lives in their vehicle.

Graceworks Ministries in Franklin: From June 2017 to July 2018, the nonprofit served 220 individuals experiencing homelessness.

Graceworks West in Fairview: Last year, the nonprofit assisted 143 individuals experiencing homelessness in the area.

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