Agenda Items & Discussion

• Homeless shelter expansion (11th Street site): A presenter explained why the item is critical, noting Chattanooga's per-capita homeless rate is comparable to other Tennessee metros, but its unsheltered rate is significantly higher at roughly 68%, versus 22-25% elsewhere, due to a shortage of shelter beds. Sheltered homeless individuals take an average of about 400 days to be rehoused, but that number rises sharply to roughly seven times as long once someone becomes unsheltered.
• Community concerns about the shelter: Council members discussed neighborhood opposition to a proposed 24/7 low-barrier shelter, including questions about case management capacity, neighborhood sanitation impacts, and who would operate the facility. A presenter argued a shelter would give the city a more effective way to address homelessness compared to police simply relocating unsheltered individuals from block to block.
• Housing authority property plans: In response to a question submitted by a councilman who was absent, staff confirmed plans to sell three housing properties near the 11th Street site while retaining other undeveloped investment property not part of the sale.
• PILOT (payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) annual report: Staff walked council through the annual one-page status report on existing PILOT tax incentive agreements, explaining the reporting cycle: companies receive a heads-up letter and call from the Chamber of Commerce each October, report performance data by December 31, and the report reflects a look-back at the prior year's performance (the version discussed was updated in February, with final tax figures received in June).
• Council members raised questions about specific PILOT recipients where performance numbers were not yet available or not reflected in the annual report.

Key Decisions & Votes

• This was a strategic planning/workshop session; no formal ordinances, resolutions, or votes were taken. Council asked staff to compile answers to outstanding questions (including the property-sale question) for a future discussion.