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      Homeless FAQs

      Learn what the City and its partners are doing to address homelessness in Knoxville.

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      Homelessness is a serious and complex issue for every community—not just Knoxville. There’s no single cause of homelessness and no single solution.

      The majority of people experiencing homelessness in our community are living with friends or family members, in hotel rooms, in local shelters, or in transitional housing.

      About 33 percent of people experiencing homelessness in Knoxville are living unsheltered, or on the street. 

      KnoxHMIS reports the following main reasons for becoming homeless: 

      • No Affordable Housing
      • Mental/Health Reasons
      • Eviction
      • Domestic Violence
      • Loss of Job
      • Underemployment
      • Non-Violent Family Confrontation
      • Criminal Activity

      Learn more in our Homeless FAQs


      Roundtable


      Addressing homelessness from all angles requires community-wide coordination and communication between partners, which can include governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, shelter operators, affordable-housing providers and developers, faith-based outreach programs, physical and mental health providers, church congregations and philanthropic groups.

      Office of Housing StabilityIn 2022, homelessness grew by 50% in Knoxville and Knox County. Community leaders recognized a growing crisis, and City of Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon and Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs committed to a collaborative approach to address homelessness. As a result, the Knoxville-Knox County Office of Housing Stability (OHS) was established in 2023 as the coordinating body for homeless services and homelessness prevention in the City of Knoxville and Knox County. OHS is an instrumentality of local government, not a non-profit, and works with local service providers and many other partners to make homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring.

      Visit www.KnoxTNHousing.org for more information


      Funding


      HomelessnessThe City provides funding for services and programs that prevent and reduce homelessness, including: 

      • Projects that develop and maintain affordable housing, affordable rental housing and permanent supportive housing

      • Outreach workers who connect with people experiencing homelessness to resources and programs that lead to housing

      • Emergency housing that keeps people from becoming homeless

      • Financial stability and workforce development


      Coordinated Entry graph below


      Coordinated Entry is a multi-agency intake and assessment process that helps connect individuals and families experiencing homelessness with the best available resources and housing in a community. The process ensures that those with greatest service needs and vulnerability are prioritized for the appropriate resources and housing. Our local Coordinated Entry System is called CHAMP (Coordinated Housing Assessment and Match Plan). The diagram below shows how CHAMP helps people connect with the resources and housing that best fits their needs.


      CHAMP



      Report files below


      Reports and Plans       • Current Quarter information

      • 2023 KnoxHMIS Annual Report

      • 2022 KnoxHMIS Annual Report

      • 2021 KnoxHMIS Annual Report

      • 2020 KnoxHMIS Annual Report [PDF]

      • 2019 KnoxHMIS Annual Report [PDF]

      • 2018 KnoxHMIS Annual Report [PDF]


      REPORT ARCHIVES

      • 2022 KAAR State of Housing Report

      • Knoxville's Plan to Address Homelessness 2014 [PDF]

      • Knoxville's Plan to Address Homelessness 2019 [PDF]