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MNPS official highlights school-based housing supports, two-family Home Together Nashville pilot
Summary
An MNPS representative described school-centered work to support students and families experiencing homelessness, including a Home Together Nashville pilot serving two families, a Beyond Graduation program using a $20,000 donation for housing deposits and Chromebooks, and a volunteer nonprofit providing multiple supports.
Catherine Knowles of Metro Nashville Public Schools told the Homeless Services Planning Council that many students who meet a broad definition of homelessness are not eligible for HUD-funded services because they are "doubled up." She said about 89% of students who fit the HUD definition are staying doubled up with others rather than in shelters.
"I'm not talking about numbers today... he is not a number, his family is not a number," Knowles said, calling attention to individual stories behind the statistics as she described school-based initiatives. Knowles introduced "Home Together Nashville," a small pilot born from a church–community partnership; two families are currently participating, and the program focuses on identifying long-term hotel renters the HERO office can help place into lease-based housing with supportive services.
Knowles also described a Beyond Graduation pilot that used a roughly $20,000 holiday donation to pay housing deposits, provide Chromebooks and offer six hours of training to graduating students. She said the MNPS-led volunteer nonprofit National Community Connections runs multiple programs including a sports equity fund and a food pantry and that the schools work closely with local partners such as Soles for Souls to supply shoes (Knowles said the program receives about 2,500 new pairs annually).
Knowles asked council members and local leaders to visit MNPS’s Buena Vista Elementary space and said a Community Foundation information page about Home Together Nashville will be posted in the coming months. She emphasized the pilot is not an open referral program: the initiative targets families who are currently paying hotel rents and appear able to take on local rents with short-term subsidies and coaching.
