Overview
In October 2019, Chattanooga reached functional zero for veteran homelessness, a milestone demonstrating there are fewer veterans experiencing homelessness than can be routinely housed within a month. By reaching functional zero for veteran homelessness, the community has proven it has built a system that can ensure homelessness is rare and brief, even if new veterans experience housing crises over time. Chattanooga changed how its homeless response system works by adopting the core elements of the Built for Zero methodology:
- Building a unified regional team, or “command center” around a shared aim of getting to functional zero
- Using real-time, person-specific data to know every veteran experiencing homelessness by name and monitor the progress of efforts
- Testing new improvements to their system that help them drive the number of veterans experiencing homelessness to zero
“By reaching functional zero, Chattanooga and Southeast Tennessee is able to use live data to prove it has built a homeless response system that can achieve functional zero and sustain it, even if new veterans experience housing crises over time.”
Wendy Winters, Executive Director of the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition and Built for Zero community lead in CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.
Key Milestones
January 2015
Joined Built for Zero
Chattanooga joined Built for Zero, a national movement committed to measurably ending homelessness.
August 2017
Achieved quality by-name data (Veterans)
Chattanooga built a comprehensive real-time, by-name list of all veterans experiencing homelessness in the community.
September 2017
Achieved quality by-name data (Chronic Adults)
Chattanooga built a comprehensive real-time, by-name list of all single adults experiencing chronic homelessness in the community.
March 2024
Achieved quality by-name data (All Singles)
Chattanooga built a comprehensive real-time, by-name list of all single adults experiencing homelessness in the community.
Homelessness is solvable.
Communities in the Built for Zero movement are proving it.
