Office of Homeless Services Director April Calvin told the council the Metro cold‑weather shelter was open 45 nights this season — the most on record — and that the office is preparing an after‑action report and a season report that will be provided to Metro Council and the Homelessness Planning Council.

Calvin said the city has issued an RFP for cold‑weather shelter operation two years in a row with no takers and plans to issue the request again. She said Metro and OHS are working with partners including the Nashville Rescue Mission and other shelter providers to draft a future plan for the site; a separate planning study is examining mixed‑use alternatives while retaining an identified emergency option for Metro.

Calvin also described work on pallet shelters (sometimes called pods), noting a small working group with multiple Metro departments and community committee members is addressing code and fire concerns and drafting an RFP for deployment. She said those safety and code issues are the primary barriers to rolling out pallet shelters and that a draft RFP should be released soon.

On seasonal emergency planning, Calvin said the city coordinates with the Office of Emergency Management about severe‑weather decisions and has contingency plans because evacuating or operating shelters during tornado‑prone storms presents safety concerns. She said past stand‑ups have seen low utilization during mild weather and that safety is prioritized when storms are forecast.

Calvin also described ongoing work on permanent supportive housing. She said the council will host a technical assistance visit from Austin, Texas, to review braided funding approaches; Austin added roughly 1,200 permanent supportive units in a single year and local staff will meet with planning department staff, private landlords and developers. Calvin said MDHA voucher subsidies are at capacity and that MDHA’s annual payouts currently exceed their annual budget, limiting voucher availability and requiring creative local solutions for operating costs and subsidy support.

Calvin said OHS will present an after‑action report on the cold‑weather season at the next council meeting and that additional RFP and pallet‑shelter details will follow.