NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – A local church is aiming to help out some of Nashville’s homeless.
The Village at Glencliff will be located on the property of Glencliff United Methodist Church. The houses are called “micro homes.” The church plans to build 22 of them, but there are 12 constructed right now.
Rev. Ingrid McIntyre said the homes will provide a safe haven for those who have nowhere else to turn.
“As we saw the numbers climbing and climbing of deaths of people who are experiencing homelessness and who are on the streets we just thought, what can we do?” said McIntyre.
The micro homes have been a vision for the church after floods that hit Nashville almost 10 years ago. The flood displaced many of the city’s homeless that were a part of “tent city” near the Cumberland River.
The Village of Glencliff is being built on the property of Glencliff United Methodist Church to help Nashville’s homeless.
Starting the process of building the micro homes took a little longer than expected. Neighbors filed a lawsuit concerned about the church’s plans. The church won the initial suit, but they had to continue defending their plans through appeals. The Tennessee Supreme Court ultimately dismissed it.
“That has been challenging, but also exciting to see the community grow around this idea,” said McIntyre.
Each house will allow the person coming in a chance to recover after a major surgery.
“We have friends that we’re working with that maybe go into the hospital because of a chronic illness or they have open heart surgery, or a hip replacement and then they are discharged to where they stay, which is a park bench or tent by the river and that’s just not really good healing conditions,” said McIntyre. “They can move in and we will work with them until they get permanent housing.”
The homes still have a bit of ways to go before they can fulfill their purpose.
“We really only have to complete the insides, the interior of the housing. We’ve gotten the plumbing done and the electricity. We have about $250,000 more dollars to raise. Hopefully this will provide an opportunity for them to live into who they were really called to be and not just have to survive and be in survival mode all the time. They can thrive and live into their humanity,” said McIntyre.
The homes are set to open in May. They have been constructed through private donations.
Source: www.wsmv.com
