City of Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon and Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs have announced the establishment of the Knoxville-Knox County Office of Housing Stability (OHS) to lead efforts to prevent and respond to housing instability and homelessness.

The Mayors named Erin Read as Director of the Office of Housing Stability. Read has worked at the Knox County Health Department since 2010, most recently as Division Director of Substance Misuse Response. 

"I’m grateful to Mayor Jacobs and Mayor Kincannon, who have paved the way for a collaborative approach to homelessness across the City and the County,” says Read. “I look forward to working with local government, nonprofits, people with lived experience of homelessness, businesses, faith communities and philanthropies to set a course to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring. No single agency or sector commands all the needed resources but together we'll make durable progress."

The joint office will collaborate with the Knoxville-Knox County Homeless Coalition, housing agencies, homelessness service providers and people with lived experience of homelessness to set a common vision with shared goals informed by a systems-level, evidence-based approach that is data-driven to keep families in their homes and connect people to housing opportunities and services.

"Homelessness is an issue which impacts all of us,” says Mayor Jacobs. “While there are no easy solutions to this problem, the Office of Housing Stability will engage partners across the City and the County to prevent homelessness and to address homelessness when it does happen. We look forward to a shared vision and common goals informed by local data, improving the quality of life for all Knox County residents." 

“Homelessness doesn’t acknowledge ZIP codes,” says Mayor Kincannon. “Through active coordination and partnerships, we will leverage our community’s resources to maximize the positive impact on all residents, reduce duplication and streamline access to services regardless of where someone is staying.” 

In the last two years, the City of Knoxville and Knox County have invested more than $80 million in response to housing instability and homelessness, with $14.5 million designated specifically for the assistance of unhoused residents.  

“I’m excited to work with Ms. Read and the new office to build on our existing relationships with members of the Mayor’s Roundtable on Homelessness,” said Kevin DuBose, Director of the City’s Housing and Neighborhood Development department. “We’ve made strides in recent years in identifying disparities in housing access and the kinds of programs and support that address specific housing and homelessness needs, and working collaboratively through the OHS will build on that data and research.” 

“We are fortunate to have so many dedicated nonprofit and faith-based organizations working every day to address the issues of housing instability and homelessness,” said Jenny Holden, Senior Director of Knox Grants and Community Development. “I am excited that this joint initiative will allow us to provide additional support to these agencies and look forward to seeing the positive impact in our community.” 

Shawn Griffith, Homeless Program Coordinator from the City of Knoxville’s Office on Homelessness, and personnel from Knox County Grants and Community Development are providing support to the Office of Housing Stability. 

Erin Read can be reached at [email protected]. 

Information about the City of Knoxville’s Housing and Neighborhood Development department, including investments in housing stability and programs that make housing more affordable for City residents, is available at KnoxvilleTN.gov/Development. 

Information about Knox County’s Grants and Community Development Office is online at KnoxCounty.org/CommunityDevelopment.