Update: Knox homelessness leaders to keep pressing for housing

The day after having their plan for a west Knox County home for the chronically homeless shot down by county leaders, homelessness leaders say they'll keep up the fight.

"We lost this site, but there will be other sites just like the site behind us that's currently under construction," said Volunteer Ministry Center CEO Ginny Weatherstone referring to Minvilla Manor.

Knox County commissioners shot down a plan to locate a facility housing the chronically homeless in Farragut on Monday night.

Though they still believe the west Knox site was a solid choice, leaders with the Ten-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness met Tuesday afternoon to begin the process of finding a new site.

"First of all we're going to say, 'what did we learn here? What could we have done differently? What can we improve on?"' Director Jon Lawler said Tuesday. "We're in it for the long haul."

It could be a long haul for the selection of a new site. The current site took about a year, from early selection searches to a purchase agreement with a developer. The only step left was for the county to approve the allocation of federal grant money.

"It is a good site. It could've worked, and individuals could've been successful there," Lawler said.

Homelessness leaders said they've received several calls since the vote, with property owners offering up their property. However, the site must meet specific criteria, including being zoned for multi-family occupancy and meeting environmental criteria.

The process to select a new site could be as brief as taking just a few months, or it could take an amount of time similar to the west Knox County selection.

Organizers with the Ten Year Plan will meeting Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 to return to the drawing board.

"Helping every homeless individual find the right home in Knoxville is a long journey and we're comitted to that," Lawler said.

"We will find other places and we will continue to do this work because it's the right thing to do and it works," Weatherstone said.

As for the Kiddie Kottage daycare--neighbors to the proposed facility who fought its placement in their vicinity--they said they're happy the county commission saw their side.

"It's been a fight. I've never had to do anything like this. I feel like I've won," said Kiddie Kottage Director Julie Walker.