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By Brad Durham
WHAT IS MATCH
Recently, the McMinnville Action To Create Housing (MATCH) hosted the documentary film Beyond The Bridge at the Park Theater on January 22, 2026. I founded MATCH and invited people to join the Board to assist the poorest of the poor in McMinnville—our homeless neighbors. My vision for MATCH is to operate as a 100% volunteer effort focusing on three areas: advocacy, managing resources, and developing programs.
OUR FIRST ACTION
Our first action as a nonprofit was to advocate publicly for permanent supportive housing for the unhoused in our county by presenting the film Beyond The Bridge and hosting a Town Hall Meeting afterward. What is permanent supportive housing? It is an evidence-based solution to homelessness that quickly places a homeless person or family into an apartment, usually owned by a private landlord. Two key components are the supportive services that follow the individual into permanent housing and a rental subsidy that helps address the issue of housing affordability.
The Town Hall Meeting featured City Mayor Ryle Chastain, County Executive Terry Bell, UCDD/UCHRA Executive Director Mark Farley, Regional President of Ascension Saint Thomas Neal Kelley, and Sheila Fann, the Executive Director of HOME. I served as the moderator in my role as president of MATCH. Ninety percent of the questions came from the audience of 250 people.
ROUNDTABLE
The clear message from the Town Hall Meeting was that the mayor, county executive, executive director of UCDD/UCHRA, and the regional president of Ascension were all interested in sitting at a roundtable to develop and implement a public policy for creating permanent supportive housing. MATCH successfully advocated for permanent supportive housing in a forum that was free and open to everyone in McMinnville.
Town Hall Meeting after Beyond The Bridge. Panel and Moderator.
SPONSORS – SUPPORTERS
Our presenting sponsor, Ascension Saint Thomas River Park, donated $10,000 to help us create awareness and foster community involvement. Other sponsors included Ben Loman Connect, Security Federal Savings Bank, Youngblood and Associates, The Local, St. Matthews Episcopal Church, First United Methodist Church, the Southern Standard, and over 100 private citizens. Roland Advertising provided free billboard promotion for the event.
TWO OTHER POINTS OF FOCUS
MATCH has two other major focuses: resource management and program development. These are issues we wish to discuss at the roundtable with elected officials, regional and local service providers, business leaders, and private citizens. We have met individually and as a group with our police chief, the sheriff, the District Attorney, public defenders, and judges to discuss collaboration in addressing the disproportionate burden our unhoused neighbors create in these areas. There is a term often used to describe the pattern that the homeless follow—from hospitals to law enforcement, to courts, and then to jail—known as “frequent fliers” or “frequent users.”
Tent in Downtown McMinnville during the past two years…
Scene from Beyond The Bridge – Houston police outreach worker to the homeless.
CONSERVE PUBLIC RESOURCES
MATCH aims to conserve limited public resources by leading our homeless frequent users from this cycle by helping them transform into permanent supportive housing. To achieve this, we need to manage funding resources at the local, regional, state, and federal levels to develop full-time staff who can assist the homeless in navigating their way to permanent supportive housing.
Various levels of funding to support permanent supportive housing.
REPLICATE THE DOCUMENTARY FILM
If we had presented a great science fiction film like Star Wars by George Lucas and said we wanted to replicate the Rebel Base and Storm Troopers in McMinnville, you would think we were crazy! Yet, we showed a documentary film presenting an evidence-based positive solution to homelessness at the Park Theater and expressed our desire to replicate it in McMinnville.
BEDFORD FALLS VS POTTERSVILLE
Let me use another film analogy: Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life, which many of us enjoy watching each Christmas. I am asking everyone throughout McMinnville and Warren County: Do you want McMinnville to be a Pottersville or a Bedford Falls?
CALL TO ACTION
There is something each of us can do to support the poorest of the poor in our community. You can become a positive advocate for permanent supportive housing, contribute your skills, resources, and compassion to help.
Watch this video and contact MATCH if you want to be part of the solution to homelessness in McMinnville by helping develop permanent supportive housing for our homeless neighbors.
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By Brad Durham
REFLECTIONS
If we saw a dog walking on the street in downtown McMinnville, what would we do? If we saw a homeless person downtown who was exhausted from sleeping outside, what would we do? What if we saw people sleeping downtown, which they often do, what would we do?
Photo taken this summer in downtown McMinnville
Would we look at the dogs downtown and ignore them? Maybe, but if they were in the street, we probably would be concerned enough to do something. If I were to see my dog in the street downtown, I would pick her up and take her home.
Would I take my dog back to obedience school when I catch her downtown? Okay, dog, you have to start all over and when you learn to obey my commands, you can come back inside the house. Or do I simply bring the dog inside, give her shelter from the elements, and work on a plan to keep the dog off the streets again?
Back to Square One? 
In a Home. I am not implying that helping people overcome homelessness is easy, but I believe we have to deal with the complexity of the issue. What are we going to do about it? Doesn’t every person deserve shelter, a home? We put criminals in jail with a roof over their heads, don’t we? Why don’t we put criminals in a fenced-in field with no roof, walls, or protection from the weather? Why do we give criminals shelter, meals, bathrooms and showers, but allow the homeless people to live unprotected in the elements?
Jail Cell We don’t let our dogs or animals roam into dangerous, life-threatening elements. Why do we rationalize doing nothing for the homeless in McMinnville?
This is what I often tell myself…It is not my job. I am too busy. I do not have enough resources. Our city does not have the resources, staff to help them.
But we have the staff and resources to lock up the criminals…
I know that I struggle with all of these issues. I wonder how I can work and pay my own bills. I wonder if I am helping people in my family enough or at all. Am I taking proper care of myself?
Who am I to advocate for policies for the homeless? What if they do not cooperate with me? I tell myself it’s too hard to help them. What is my moral obligation to people experiencing homelessness?
For moral guidance, Jesus is my supreme authority. He told a story, “For I was hungry, and you never gave me anything to drink, I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, lacking clothes and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me. Then it will be their turn to ask, “Lord when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or lacking clothes, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?” Then he will answer, “In truth, I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.” (Matthew 25:42-45)
THE HOMELESS NEED HOMES
Personally, I believe we have to use our minds, hearts and souls to develop positive solutions for the homeless. First and foremost, we need to help the homeless secure permanent supportive housing.
We need to know today how many homeless people there are in McMinnville. How many people have we helped secure permanent supportive housing in McMinnville this year? Start quantifying the problem and developing short and long- term strategies.
There are basically three ways to help homeless people afford housing. (1) Secure apartments with rental subsidies tied to the unit. (2) Rental subsidies that help pay rent for the homeless person or family with private landlords. (3) The third way is to develop new affordable housing with low-income tax credits and other funding that is targeted to help the homeless.
We need to start with proper intake and record-keeping with every homeless person. Who is homeless and who is helping them in McMinnville are two things we should be aware of every day. We need to streamline our services to the homeless; make the services efficient and not duplicate them.
Next, we need to tie together supportive services for the homeless that starts helping them on the street and follows them into housing. This will help homeless people in McMinnville secure and maintain permanent housing.
First and foremost, the homeless need a friend who will not judge them and be present with them – with no agenda to fix them. We need educational services, job training, financial counseling, mental health counseling, drug and alcohol abuse counseling, etc.
We also need someone dedicated to exclusively working on housing search for the homeless in McMinnville. We need to be pursuing funding for rental subsidies, and long-term development of new and affordable housing.
We need a navigational center where the homeless can temporarily stay as they connect with help to secure permanent housing.
The complex, seemingly impossible solutions become more basic and solvable as we wrestle with the philosophical issues on a practical level. Helping the homeless secure a home solves the problem. It becomes possible when we have public support and funding.
PERSON SLEEPING DOWNTOWN. THE TENT IS NEXT TO THE DOWNTOWN SERVICE STATION ON SPARTA STREET.
When we see people living this way, what then must we do?
The more we help people who are living on our sidewalks, parking lots and in tents move into permanent supportive housing, the more we will help ourselves and everyone in McMinnville live a better life.
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“I want to thank all of you all for your help,” James Albert.
By Brad Durham
A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME
James Albert is no longer homeless, and he is finally in his own home. He moved into his apartment in McMinnville on Friday, August 30, 2024.
There is a long list of people to thank for helping James Albert. Sheila Fann and Connie Fox with HOME helped keep James Albert off the street by placing him in a motel for several days, and then they placed him in a tiny home at Prosperity Point for approximately four months.
Everyone who donated to the campaign to help James Albert secure permanent housing helped keep James Albert safe. Everyone’s donations provided Albert with necessities such as a phone and furniture for his apartment. All of the individual donations have given James Albert a fresh start. Everyone’s donation made a vital difference.
Leland Northcutt and John Phillips helped move James into his apartment. Leland Northcutt has been a major supporter and motivator to help James Albert secure a permanent home.
Ryan Heatherly and everyone at First United Methodist Church helped administer the Fund (from donations) to help James Albert stay off the streets and find a safe, secure home. Tena Basham and Jimmy Haley helped consistently with their compassion and time. The Mission Committee at First United Methodist also helped. St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church also contributed to the James Albert Fund.
H.A.R.T., the Continuum of Care for HUD funding for the homeless in the Upper Cumberland region was a major help. The Crossville Housing Authority is supplying the rental assistance with HUD funding that makes James Albert’s apartment affordable. James Albert only pays 30% of his adjusted income toward rent. Vivian Walker with H.A.R.T., and Cindy Turner, Jamie Young and Kathy Vanlandingham with the Crossville Housing Authority worked diligently to make the rental assistance possible for James Albert.
James Albert’s Apartment
HOLES IN THE SAFETY NET
Placing a homeless person into permanent housing is not an easy process, and the safety net for the homeless in McMinnville has severe holes, which causes many people to live on the streets indefinitely. Affordable housing is extremely limited. The Fair Market Rent (FMR) that HUD allows for rental assistance in McMinnville is too low — it is not “fair”. Supportive services for the homeless population are severely lacking at best, and are virtually non-existent at worst, especially after a homeless person or family are placed into permanent housing.
POSITIVE SOLUTIONS
These are four considerations for strategic planning that would strengthen the safety net for the homeless in McMinnville:
- Build more affordable housing with low-income tax credits and project-based rental subsidies.
- Secure more rental subsidies for the homeless and low-income families in McMinnville.
- Create a Housing Search position to help the homeless and low-income families find and secure permanent housing.
- Develop full-time supportive services that includes a Master of Social Work (MSW) position and peer-to-peer counselors. A Multi-Service Center in the city would be optimal.
The full-time staff to assist the homeless would be cost-effective. McMinnville has several homeless individuals in the county jail at a minimal cost of $41 dollars a day. River Park hospital absorbs emergency health care costs for the vast majority of the homeless population. Our police and government resources are being used to service the homeless in a multitude of ways, which redirects our limited resources to take care of the homeless. Unfortunately, emergency services without supportive services do not produce permanent housing solutions.
Our limited resources could be put to better use providing long-term permanent solutions for the homeless. We all need the benefit of government assistance in some shape or form. McMinnville has to decide if it wants to redirect some of its limited resources to better serving the homeless and low-income families.
One question we must continue to ask ourselves is how long can we drive by people who are sleeping in our church parking lots, under our bridges, and in unsafe environments such as our woods.
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By Brad Durham
SABLE WINFREE FROM HER DAYS ON THE LADY PIONEER BASKETBALL TEAM The judge determined that playing high school sports in Tennessee is a privilege, not a right. Since the judge ruled that none of Sable Winfree’s rights were violated, there was not a lack of due process. The judge ruled that it makes no difference if Winfree lost a college scholarship because of her dismissal from the high school team. This part of the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled or relitigated.
The judge questioned the defamation part of the lawsuit; specifically questioned what the f-word was and the harm it created. This part of the lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, which means that Winfree can still choose to refile the lawsuit with more relevant evidence.
The court’s decision does not state nor imply that the school system was at not at fault for how the school system handled Sable Winfree’s dismissal from the high school basketball team. The decision simply means that there were no circumstances that warranted due process.
Warren County Schools did not retain Mendy Stotts as a basketball coach, and Stotts is no longer employed by the school system. One can draw his/her own conclusions as to why Stotts is no longer employed in Warren County.
What has never been sufficiently answered publicly or privately is why Sable Winfree was dismissed from the team. Moreover, no public substantive explanation has been given by the Warren County Schools regarding the “dismissal” of Mendy Stotts as the girls high school basketball coach.
No consequences for the “bad” hire and tenure of Mendy Stotts as the girls head basketball coach. No consequences for the mistreatment of Sable Winfree by Mendy Stotts, head principal Chris Hobbs and the Director of Schools, Grant Swallows. A tragedy and a moral injustice without any consideration for Sable Winfree’s well-being and future.
My Present Thoughts about Coverage of the Lawsuit and Sable Winfree
I wrote the above comments on August 2, and to be honest, I was too busy to follow up on it. There was not a lack of concern on my part. Initially, I thought I had contributed everything I could as an advocate for Sable Winfree. Yet, this morning I read Jeffery Simmons column, “Court battles and peak pettiness,” and I became compelled to respond to it on my newsletter.
An image from the Wizard of Oz came to mind as I read Simmons’ column, the cowardly lion.
The cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz. Jeffery, it is not about you, and the lawsuit was not a joke! Stop blaming Sable Winfree for being kicked off the team by a lunatic coach.
Verbatim excerpts from Simmons’ August 16 column:
If there’s one court I wished to avoid being required to be, it was the Eastern District of the United States District Court for the possible Sable Winfree v. Warren County School District trial. It seems like I’ll be able to dodge that visit.
But when it comes to what I think, nothing has really changed from my original opinion 10 months ago, where I wrote, “What I don’t agree with, particularly in the growing social discussion, is that this is a very black and white issue where either Sable is right and the admin and coach are wrong or Sable is wrong and the coaching staff and admin did the right thing. Personally, I think the blame can go around.”
As I wrote back then, “Personally, I think everybody screwed up here, dating back to May (2023), and it feels like only one person – Sable – is having to pay for their mistakes.”
When I read those comments, this is what I heard in my head: “IF I WAS THE KING OF THE FOREST…” – the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz.
There are more characters is this sad saga who share the cowardly lion persona. Todd Willmore who conducted an internal investigation for the Warren County Schools that was lame and incompetent. Chris Hobbs, who was unprofessional and shared inappropriate comments with parents. Robin Phillips who took the attack and defend the institution position with the school system against Sable Winfree. Grant Swallows, who had the opportunity to prevent the dismissal of Sable Winfree from the team and defended his underlings’ decisions. Last and not least, every member of the School Board stayed silent and refused to stand up for Sable Winfree.
Do good people act as cowards sometimes? Absolutely. We all do. Everyone had the opportunity to redeem themselves and correct their mistakes. None of the people mentioned did that. They all doubled down on their decisions, which lacked courage.
Guess who was not a coward! Sable Winfree. Sable immediately went on record stating what she thought about being dismissed from the team. You can read her thoughts here…https://bdnewsletter.news/2023/12/01/a-new-interview-with-sable-winfree/
I would like to acknowledge Michael Galligan’s fortitude and courageous behavior in becoming Sable Winfree’s attorney. A lawyer has to be brave in a small town to confront the only school system with a lawsuit. Mr. Galligan did this pro bono, and he deserves credit for covering Sable Winfree’s back. The deck was stacked against Sable, and Galligan defended her. He initially attempted to have her readmitted to the team, but Grant Swallows and others did not cooperate.
You know who admired Sable Winfree’s performance on the basketball court? Kyle Turnham. When I covered high school sports a few years ago, I made it a habit to ask every opposing coach about Sable Winfree. Turnham told me one night in the Shelbyville Central gym, when he was coaching the Shelbyville girls team, that Sable was the leader of the Lady Pioneers. He said the entire offense ran through her, and if you wanted to beat the Lady Pioneers, you had to stop Sable Winfree.
I became an advocate for Sable Winfree from the first night I saw her play basketball. She was shot out of a cannon as a freshman, and every opposing coach respected how she played. She made the Lady Pioneers better.
Sam Walker has written a book entitled, The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates the World’s Greatest Teams. In the book, he states the following:
“The most critical ingredient in a team that achieves and sustains historic greatness is the character of the player who leads it.”
Sable Winfree led the Lady Pioneers offense and helped establish the personality of the Lady Pioneers for three years. The Lady Pioneers became one of the top 10 teams in the state by her junior year. That is the way I wish to remember Sable Winfree’s basketball career in Warren County.
Sable Winfree has a fearless heart. I am grateful that I got to see her play basketball.
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By Brad Durham
James Albert – July 2024 
James Albert – May 2024 GUARANTEED RENT AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
James Albert has recently received a rental voucher that pays the fair market rate for McMinnville. 70% of James’s rent is paid by the federal government (HUD) and 30% is paid by James. His rent will be guaranteed, and he will have supportive services to help clean his apartment, wash his clothes, provide meals, etc.
If you are a landlord or know a landlord who has a vacancy and wants to help James Albert move into a permanent home, please contact Brad Durham. Please share this newsletter on your Facebook page and with anyone who may have a lead on an apartment.
JAMES ALBERT’S HISTORY
10 years ago, James Albert lost both arms at the shoulder in an accident working for an electric company. The company he worked for will not release any information about the accident without a subpoena from a lawyer. Whatever money was received in a settlement was spent a long time ago. This is something that James and I will look into with a lawyer.
James became homeless in May of this year for the first time in his life. HOME has helped keep James in safe, emergency housing. The clock is ticking, and we need to secure a permanent place for James to live.
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD
Because James Albert cannot drive, we wish to find a place for him in town so that he can walk to where he wishes to go. James attends free meals weekly, and he likes to be in a community with friends.
Simply sharing this newsletter with one person will help. Please text the link to this article to anyone you know who can help James Albert secure an apartment. Telling someone about it will help. The goal is to find a landlord who will rent an apartment to James Albert at the fair market value.
PLEASE CONTACT BRAD DURHAM WITH ANY LEADS
My phone number is 615-838-4426 and my email is brad412@benlomand.net.
Thank you for any leads on apartments and/or landlords you can offer. One thing every homeless person like James Albert wants is a permanent home. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
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Introduction by Brad Durham
Approximately 40 years ago, Joyce Tavon was one of my supervisors as I conducted housing searches for the homeless in Boston. Joyce and other friends have recently been helping me understand the best solutions for ending homelessness. Joyce Tavon wrote this article in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling that a community may ban people from sleeping outside. Link: https://www.newschannel5.com/news/nashville-advocate-reacts-to-scotus-ruling-on-sleeping-outside
This guest article was previously published by CommonWealth BEACON on July 3. Link: https://commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/dont-penalize-people-for-being-poor-and-lacking-housing/
Supreme Court decision addresses a symptom of homelessness but provides no real solution
by JOYCE TAVON 4 days ago
Joyce Tavon is the CEO of the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance.
How best should a community respond when a person has nowhere to live or even a safe place to sleep at night? Should we give them a ticket for pitching a tent in a local park? Arrest them for sleeping on a bench? Or can we commit to finding actual solutions to address this crisis and strengthen our communities?
Recently, in Johnson vs. Grants Pass, the US Supreme Court ruled that a community may ban people from sleeping outside even when there is no adequate shelter or housing available. People may be fined or arrested for sleeping in a tent, on a bench, or even in their own cars.
At the Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance, we are deeply disturbed by this decision. These prohibitions don’t solve the problem; they just drive people further into a downward spiral. Individuals with nowhere to go will be pushed from place to place as their encampments are cleared. As a result, vital documents will likely be lost, and homelessness and all its subsequent trauma exacerbated. Homeless individuals will be saddled with criminal records that will make it even more difficult for them to secure housing or a job. Instead of solving the problem, this punitive approach will create new obstacles to stability.
At the Massachusetts Housing & Shelter Alliance, however, we are not fighting for the right of someone to sleep on a park bench – we are striving to develop real solutions. We build partnerships with city hall, the police, and service providers that solve homelessness by providing housing, engagement, and support. The alliance has done this before in collaboration with communities from Chelsea to Worcester to Pittsfield. When resources, strategic planning, and political will are brought to bear, we can significantly reduce homelessness.
Understandably, communities don’t want people to camp in their public parks and playgrounds. But banning these acts of desperation won’t resolve the crisis.
We’ve always done better here in Massachusetts. Starting in the 1980s, we provided emergency shelter as a first response. Over the years, we’ve learned that offering housing along with the necessary wraparound services is the most effective response of all. We were early adopters of the Housing First model, moving vulnerable people to affordable housing quickly and, with the stability of a roof over their heads, connecting them with essential services such as health care.
The data shows this approach works, with more than 80 percent remaining housed for as many as seven years following the initial intervention. In the early 2000s, as we added more housing coupled with the necessary safety net of support, chronic homelessness was dramatically reduced.
Recently, homelessness has been rising in Massachusetts, especially in our smaller Gateway Cities that lack shelter capacity and a robust housing infrastructure. While the media has covered the plight of desperate migrant families coming to our state, a quieter crisis was already brewing here among adults struggling with poverty, often combined with mental illness or addiction and with few options for housing, services, or treatment.
We also know that homelessness disproportionately impacts people of color. To further complicate an already complex situation, the fastest growing group of newly homeless in the country – and by all indications in Massachusetts as well – are people aged 50 and over. Many have never been homeless before. Losing a job or spouse or receiving a massive rent increase is pushing more and more older adults out of their homes and into their cars or to campsites.
The solution to the homelessness crisis is simple, but it’s not always easy, and moving forward requires political will. We need to redouble efforts to partner with our communities and invest resources in housing with life-changing services. In response to the housing crisis, the governor has called for the creation of 200,000 units by 2030 at all income levels. Based on available data, we are advocating for 10,000 of those units to be supportive housing for our most vulnerable neighbors who are experiencing long-term homelessness.
Our Commonwealth has a long history of innovation and creative problem solving. Let’s apply that can-do approach to this statewide challenge rather than penalizing people for the crime of being poor with nowhere to go.
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James Albert at HOME’s Prosperity Point, May 15, 2024. By Brad Durham
The purpose of this fundraiser is to help provide for James V. Albert’s emergency housing, food, and daily needs until he is placed into permanent housing. Any of these funds that have not been used for emergency purposes will be used to help James once he has permanent housing. Tuesday, May 21st is the last day to contribute to this fund on the app (see link below).
Link to support James V. Albert:
HOW THE JAMES V. ALBERT FUND IS ADMINISTERED
First United Methodist Church is receiving all monies for the James V. Albert Fundraiser. The Mission Committee is overseeing the distribution of the funds.
If you do not wish to donate online, you can mail a check or cash to:
First United Methodist Church
c/o James Albert Fund
200 West Main Street
McMinnville, TN 37110JAMES ALBERT’S TRAGIC ACCIDENT THAT COST HIM HIS ARMS
10 years ago, James Albert lost both arms at the shoulder in an accident working on electrical lines. The company he worked for will not release any information about the accident without a subpoena from a lawyer. Whatever money was received in a settlement was spent a long time ago. This is something that James and I will look into with a lawyer.
HOME (Homeless of McMinnville Effort)
HOME has generously paid for James Albert’s initial stay at the Scottish Inns, and on Wednesday, May 15, James moved into a tiny house at Prosperity Point. Prosperity Point is owned and operated by HOME. Sheila Fann, HOME Co-Director, told James Albert that he can stay at Prosperity Point until July.
RELEASE OF INFORMATION
James Albert signed a Release of Information form with me for the purpose of helping him secure rental assistance (vouchers -and Section 8) from HUD via the Crossville Housing Authority, in addition to supportive services from various agencies. There are housing vouchers for homeless individuals, and as soon as we have James’ physical social security card, we will submit that application. That should happen very soon.
I am not comfortable releasing or sharing all of James’ personal information publicly, yet I am going to share some so that it is clear what resources are being pursued for him. His personal history can be shared to some degree, but for various reasons, it is not appropriate to share all of his history.
WHY MONEY IS NEEDED FOR JAMES V. ALBERT
When I asked HOME if they could pay for a hotel room for James Albert on Wednesday, May 8, I was told that I would have to be his case manager. I said that I would take care of James, and that my focus was to get him into permanent housing as soon as possible.
The process of securing rental assistance unfortunately can take months to complete. I want to make certain that there is money to provide emergency housing until James is placed into permanent housing. There is no guarantee that James can stay at Prosperity Point until he has a permanent place to live.
James receives a disability check from Social Security and some money for food with his U Card. His insurance is with United Health Care, and it is very helpful. Vanderbilt Hospital is where James receives all of his medical care. Meals on Wheels started providing James with meals last week. James regularly attends a few free meals offered by churches during the week.
Any money that is not used for James’s personal items and emergency needs will be put toward his permanent housing. Presently, there is no guarantee that James will receive rental assistance, and there are long waiting lists for all public assistance housing in McMinnville.
EXISTING SERVICES THAT ARE BEING PURSUED
The Upper Cumberland Development District (UCDD) has referred James Albert to the CHOICES program. Services that may be provided include homemaker aid, personal care, meals, legal aid, etc.
Home health care is something that is also being pursued. James is very good at scheduling his own doctor appointments and transportation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. James takes meds daily, and he can cook and prepare meals for himself.
HOLES IN THE SAFETY NET FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE IN MCMINNVILLE
One of the reasons I started this fundraiser for James Albert is because there was no place for James to go or stay when he became homeless. James said, “I would have died if I had not gotten into that hotel when I did.” He was homeless for three days.
McMinnville needs full-time staff to help navigate anyone who is homeless to a safe and secure emergency place to live; in addition to directing homeless individuals and families to existing services. The predominant alternative for most individual homeless people is to live on the street, under bridges and in tents – which people are doing right now in McMinnville. Nothing good happens on the street, under bridges and in tents.
MY FOCUS FOR JAMES ALBERT
I asked James what he wanted, and he said that he wants a permanent place to live. He does not want to live in a group home. I told James that I would do my best to help him get rental assistance and a permanent place to live.
The solution to being homeless is a home, a permanent home. The stress that James was under in his former living situation led to him becoming homeless. Being on the street for a few days with no arms led to more stress and trauma. It created health concerns and James immediately scheduled his own appointment with a Vanderbilt doctor.
HOUSING FIRST – RAPID REHOUSING
The approach I am taking is an innovation that began decades ago in the work around the country to solve homelessness. The plan is to put homeless people in housing first with supportive services. If someone becomes homeless such as James, that person is rapidly put back into permanent housing.
James Albert became homeless for the first time on May 4th. He has never been arrested. He is fully capable of living independently with supportive services.
Several weeks ago, I began the process of asking Nicole Mosley, City Police Commissioner and Sheriff Jackie Matheny, Jr., if they could provide data on how much money was spent arresting and incarcerating homeless individuals in 2022 and 2023. I also asked Dale Humphrey, CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas River Park, how much money he thought the hospital had spent caring for the homeless population in McMinnville during the past two years.
I believe a business approach to solving homelessness in McMinnville will reveal that putting homeless people into housing first with supportive services will be cost effective. The savings of placing homeless individuals into housing with services versus the cost of arresting, prosecuting, incarcerating, and health care should be significant. A study should also reveal that the same people who become homeless keep recycling through the courts, jail and hospital.
FUNDING FOR HOMELESS PROGRAMS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING
In late April, I visited with Vivian Walker, Homeless Program Advocate for HART (Homeless Advocacy for Rural Tennessee). The following is from the HART website:
WHO IS THE HOMELESS ADVOCACY FOR RURAL TENNESSEE CONTINUUM OF CARE?
HART is the Upper Cumberland Continuum of Care that covers an 18-county area in Tennessee. We are a collaborative and diverse group of community-based social service providers, county and city officials, private citizens, and faith-based organizations that began meeting in 2001.
Since 2003 this Continuum has been awarded over $6 million in HUD funding for homeless programs through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Programs that have been awarded HUD funding include faith-based, private, and government funded organizations.
WHAT IS A CONTINUUM OF CARE?
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocates homeless assistance grants to organizations that participate in local homeless assistance program planning networks. Each of these networks is called a Continuum of Care (CoC).The CoC awarded $833,377 for the Upper Cumberland in 2023 to assist the homeless. 16 of the 18 counties in HART did not apply for funding. Not a single nonprofit from Warren County has ever applied for the CoC funding for the homeless.
Another source of funding for the homeless and affordable housing is the THDA (Tennessee Housing Development Agency). The THDA is another routing source of HUD money. This is a partial list of what the THDA provides:
- Housing Choice Voucher
- Low Income Energy Assistance Program
- Low Income Water Assistance Program
- TNHousingSearch.org
- Tax Credits
- Section 8 Projects-Based Assistance
POSITIVE SOLUTION TO HOMELESSNESS IN MCMINNVILLE
In January, I invited Philip Mangano to speak to people working with the homeless in McMinnville, including County Executive Terry Bell, Mayor Ryle Chastain and City Manager, Nolan Ming. Mr. Mangano served as President George W. Bush’s Executive Director of the White House’s U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
The heart of Mangano’s presentation was housing first, a concept to end homelessness, not to provide endless services. Mangano stressed that data clearly supports the housing first policy. Mangano said, “Mayors know the cost involved related to caring for a homeless person. A homeless person incurs expenses that a community pays for such as health care, mental health, police, court costs, addiction, etc.” Mangano stated that a city spends between $25,000 to $138,000 a year in services for a homeless person who can ricochet through law enforcement and health care systems in the community..
A permanent home is the most cost-effective solution to homelessness because it stabilizes the homeless person. When a homeless person is safe and secure in a home, the health care, mental health care, and other services are more easily identified and effective. The services follow the homeless person into a home.
It is my hope that a nonprofit in McMinnville can apply for HUD money from the Continuum of Care and THDA. A stronger safety net with full-time staff can be cost-effective in serving the homeless.
One thing every homeless person like James Albert wants is a permanent home. I firmly believe with our community’s support, McMinnville can provide a stronger safety net and more positive solutions to homelessness.
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Video Message from James V. Albert
By Brad Durham
I have known James Albert since January. We met at the outreach breakfast at First United Methodist Church’s Auxiliary Building. James Albert peaked my interest because he could eat and do so many things — with no arms. When I saw him early last week on the street, I was shocked to learn that he had become homeless. Immediately, I knew that I had to try and help him.
A SEVERE DISABILITY
It is not easy doing all the things you have to do to survive and thrive when one is homeless. If you are homeless and have no arms, taking care of yourself becomes more challenging. James lost his arms in a tragic accident working on electrical lines 10 years ago in Murfreesboro. The settlement money no longer exists. The reality is that he cannot work and needs rental assistance, as well as supportive services.
James can make calls on his phone, which was broken. We are in the process of getting James a new phone. He can prepare a lot of his own meals, change his own clothes, take a bath — by himself.
A TEAM OF SUPPORT
I contacted Sheila Fann at HOME, and she said HOME would help pay for a hotel room for a few nights. I immediately began trying to learn the details of why James is homeless. I asked James to sign a Release of Information form (which he did by writing with a pen in his mouth). HOME has been helpful. Ryan Heatherly, the Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church has been helpful. Jimmy Haley has been helpful during the Saturday morning outreach and in many other ways. Several people have donated money to help James Albert, and I am very grateful for each gift.
AN APPEAL FOR DONATIONS
I am making another appeal for donations. The link will work this time, and I am asking everyone to share the link with people they know. If 400 people donate $25, we will reach our goal of $10,000.
LINK TO SUPPORT JAMES V. ALBERT: CLICK HERE
HOW THE MONEY WILL HELP
First and foremost, money will be spent to provide safe housing for James until permanent housing is secured. Efforts are being made to get James into housing other than a hotel, which is burning cash. There is no emergency housing for homeless men in McMinnville. That is something that will hopefully change in the future, but right now, I am an advocate for James and asking for help — to keep him safe.
The second emergency expense is food. A lot of meals can be donated, but that requires coordinated volunteer help. Connecting James to free meals and food is part of the present effort to help him. Unfortunately, there are times where James needs meals — the morning, certain evenings, especially on the weekends.
There are other everyday items James needs such as body wash, detergent, laundry mat services, etc. Some of these things can be donated, and sometimes they are not readily available. James also needs help paying for the UCHRA bus. Everything is being done to stretch every dollar, and what is not spent on emergency expenses will go toward providing items for permanent housing.
James receives disability from Social Security and some food assistance through his insurance. One of the reasons James is homeless is because there was a disagreement over handling his money with his helper, whom he lived with for 10 years. I am not sure of all the details, and that is water over the dam. Steps are being taken to ensure that James will personally manage all of his money in the future. Last week he set up his own bank account to make that happen.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
LANDLORDS. Once James has a rental voucher, his rent will be guaranteed. A landlord will not have to worry about nonpayment. And James will have a team of supportive services helping him.
PERSONAL NAVIGATORS-ASSISTANTS. James needs personal navigators/assistants who can help direct him to various places such as free meals, where to get his clothes washed, help with cleaning his living space, preparing meds, etc. Someone needs to check with James each day presently and in the future. This volunteer position will often require running errands and sometimes taking James where he needs to go.
THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN
A couple of weeks ago, before James was homeless, someone reminded me of the Good Samaritan parable. Someone asked Jesus who is my neighbor? Jesus replied by telling the story of a man who was beaten and robbed by bandits, and was left half dead. A priest was traveling and saw the beaten man, but walked by him on the other side of the road.
In similar fashion, a Levite saw the wounded man, but also passed him by. Then a Samaritan traveler came to the location and saw the man. He bandaged the man’s wounds and took him to an Inn. He paid the innkeeper and asked him to take care of the man. The Samaritan also promised to pay any extra expenses for the man on his way back.
Jesus asked, “Which of these three do you think proved himself to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the bandits?” The answer was the man who showed pity towards him. Jesus said, “Go and do the same yourself.”
CALL TO ACTION
If for any reason you are compelled to help James, please do one of three things.
1. Click on the link above and make a donation.
2. Seek out landlords who may provide a permanent place for James to live.
3. Become a personal Navigator/Assistant one day a week for James.
4. Please share this appeal to help support James with 5-10 friends.
Call or email me if you wish to help with housing or personally assisting James Albert.
Cell: (615) 838-4426 Email: brad412@benlomand.net
If you wish to mail a check or give cash instead of donating on the above link, please make checks payable to:
First United Methodist Church
c/o James Albert Fund
200 West Main Street
McMinnville, TN 37110 -
By Brad Durham
James Albert needs help with his living expenses and a permanent place to live. Unfortunately, he became homeless last week. James lost both of his arms 10 years ago in a tragic accident, yet he is very active around town. You may have seen him walking, carrying a bag on his shoulder. Any financial support will be appreciated, and if you are a landlord with a vacancy, please call (615) 838-4426.
CLICK ON THE LINK TO DONATE:
Your donation will help pay for James’ hotel room ($285 per week) at the Scottish Inns and other items he needs. Mr. Albert receives disability through Social Security and limited food assistance, but those funds do not cover all his hotel fees and meals. Volunteers are working with James to secure rental assistance, supportive services, and a permanent home.
Below is a link to help James financially. Your donation is tax-deductible and is going to First United Methodist Church. If you do not wish to donate online, please send a check or cash to:
First United Methodist Church
c/o James Albert Fund
200 West Main Street
McMinnville, TN 37110James has lived in McMinnville for the past 10 years. The objective is to rapidly place Mr. Albert into permanent, safe housing. James lost his arms working on an electric line in Murfreesboro. He was employed by the Middle Tennessee Electric Cooperative. James grew up in Murfreesboro and attended Riverdale High School, where he was on the track team. He is 58 years old.
James has learned to adapt and adjust to his physical challenges.
The additional stress of being unsheltered only adds to his personal dilemma.He is a proud man who does not want pity, but respect.
We show compassion to James and others because this is how we share God’s love with those less fortunate.
We all should count our blessings every day and support the volunteers who serve so many in need across the community.— Jimmy Haley, former Mayor of McMinnville and former Warren County Executive
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By Brad Durham
Attorney Michael D. Galligan has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Sable Winfree, a senior student at Warren County High School. The suit is against the Warren County Schools District, Mendy Stotts, Chris Hobbs and Dr. Grant Swallows. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee at Winchester on Thursday, April 18, 2024.
The lawsuit requests a judgement against the defendants Warren County School District, Mendy Stotts, Chris Hobbs and Dr. Grant Swallows in a sum not to exceed $750,000. The lawsuit is in federal court and requests a trial by jury.
The facts of the suit state that Sable Winfree was denied her rights under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution. Specifically, the Fifth Amendment protects against the taking of property by the government without compensation. The lawsuit claims that the defendants took Winfree’s rights to a basketball scholarship and future education.
The argument for the application of the Fourteenth Amendment indicates that as a citizen of the United States, Winfree was denied her property without due process of law. Moreover, the suit claims that Winfree’s facts were not allowed to be heard.
The facts of the lawsuit focus on the dismissal of Sable Winfree from the high school Lady Pioneer basketball team. Winfree had been Freshman of the Year and All-District her sophomore and junior years. The heart of the legal case is an accusation by Mendy Stotts, then the head girls basketball coach, claiming that Sable Winfree used the f-word in conversation with the coach during practice on November 15, 2023. Winfree denies this is true and states that she has witnesses of the fact.
Before Winfree was dismissed from the team, she had been offered a full scholarship to Trevecca Nazarene University. Two weeks after Winfree was dismissed from the team, the coaching staff of Trevecca contacted Winfree and informed her that the scholarship was being rescinded.
Other damages delineated in the lawsuit claim that Winfree has suffered more than the loss of a scholarship and potential future scholarship offers. The suit states that Stotts’ false statements also led to harm of Winfree’s reputation in the community, as well as subsequent embarrassment and humiliation.
Not mentioned in the lawsuit but relevant to people of faith and germane to Stotts’ accusations against Sable Winfree is the Ninth Commandment. “You shall not give false evidence against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16, The New Jerusalem Bible.)
After filing the lawsuit and the defendants were notified that a lawsuit had been filed against them, Michael Galligan made a statement. Galligan said, “I wish the goal was to put the student’s rights and well-being over all other considerations.”
Dr. Grant Swallows, Chris Hobbs and Mendy Stotts were contacted for comments regarding the lawsuit. Dr. Grant Swallows stated via email: “Warren County Schools received the information regarding a lawsuit. We have not had the time to review as of yet and furthermore our policy prevents us from commenting about pending litigation.”
Attorney Michael D. Galligan reviewing the lawsuit he filed on behalf of Sable Winfree in his offices. Ironically, Galligan previously served as the Warren County Schools attorney several years ago.
The lawsuit can be downloaded and viewed here:
Previous articles related to the dismissal of Sable Winfree from the WCHS Lady Pioneer basketball team:
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Professor and author Marybeth Shinn in her office at Vanderbilt University. Feb. 29, 2024.
By Brad Durham
On Thursday afternoon, February 29, I visited with Beth Shinn in her office at Vanderbilt University. Near the end of our conversation, she said something that stood out, “Homelessness is the worst manifestation of income and racial inequality in our country.” Shinn’s statement clearly illustrates the challenges facing the homeless population.
The following are excerpts from my interview with the professor and author of IN THE MIDST OF PLENTY – HOMELESSNESS AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. I highly recommend purchasing the book and reading it. There is a wealth of research and positive solutions for ending homelessness in Shinn’s book.
Brad Durham: Please describe your background and position at Vanderbilt University.
Beth Shinn: I am a professor at Vanderbilt, and I have been studying how to prevent and end homelessness for over 30 years.
Brad Durham: Would you say that you have a passion for researching that and looking at solutions for homelessness?
Beth Shinn: That is my central focus.
Brad Durham: What made homelessness your central focus?
Beth Shinn: When homelessness started going out of skid rows and onto the streets, I was a young mother in New York. My kids would say, “Why is that person living there, why is somebody sleeping there? It is pretty hard these days to recapture the shock that we had at first seeing this in the mid-1980s.
Brad Durham: When did you start at Vanderbilt?
Beth Shinn: 16 years ago.
Brad Durham: In your 30 years of research, what have you found to be the best approach to solving homelessness?
Beth Shinn: We have a lot of evidence, and it is different for different folks. For families, a large-scale experiment that I was involved with, The Family Option Study, randomized nearly 2,300 families to housing intervention services. What we learned was that giving families access to housing vouchers that held their housing cost to 30% of their income not only ended homelessness, but also has radiating benefits for other aspects of family life.
Access to the vouchers reduced psychological distress and substance abuse, it reduced domestic violence, food insecurity… Some of the things that can cause homelessness were reduced simply by making housing affordable. Kids school attendance improved; their behaviors improved. We are in the field now with a 13-year follow-up to that study to see how long the affects lasted. How did being a kid in one of those families that had access to housing vouchers change the trajectories into adulthood? In another year or so, we will know the answer to that.
For folks with serious mental illness and substance-abuse problems, the approach that is evidenced-based and seems to work best is the original Housing First approach to supportive housing. People get housing with private landlords directly from the street without any prerequisites, and services under their control. The wraparound services are the ones that the people choose. Wraparound services include mental health services, substance-abuse services, but also vocational services for people who ask for job help, educational services, recreational services to help people build community. That approach has been shown in experimental studies to work much better than approaches that require people to be clean and sober before coming indoors.
There are some advantages to scattered-site housing with private landlords as opposed to putting people with problems all in the same buildings. Being in the same building is more convenient for the service providers, but not necessarily for the environment that people are trying to manage.
We also know something about the prevention of homelessness. The biggest issue there is identifying the people who are at-risk. The most common program is eviction-prevention. But most people who are evicted, do not become homeless.
One study in Chicago looked at people who called up the eviction hotline and qualified for the program. They compared people who called at times when there was money and when there was not money. What they found out was that when people called up when there was money, about half a percent became homeless in the next six months. When people called up and there was no money available, less than 2% of the people became homeless over the next six months. So the eviction help reduced homelessness, but 98% of the people who called up even when there was no help did not become homeless.
Eviction prevention helps, but that is not where most people who are experiencing homelessness are coming from. People who have a place from which they can be evicted are better off in terms of housing than folks who don’t.
Resources are the problem. We have shown that with resources, we can end homelessness. The country has cut homelessness for military veterans in half since 2010. That happened because we put in the resources. There was supportive housing for veteran families and other programs. There was preventive screening for veterans who came into veteran health services. They were asked questions about current homelessness, worries about insecurities about the future…
I don’t believe anyone should be homeless. We can fix it if we wanted to, but fixing it involves both getting people who are currently homeless out of that state and stopping generating more. At this point we are pitching people into homelessness faster than we are getting them out. Homelessness is rising.
Mayborn Building, Vanderbilt University…location of Professor Shinn’s office. Brad Durham: How do you change the public will so that the public cannot stomach having homeless individuals living on the street and in tents? There is a tent city area right outside downtown Nashville, not too far from us right now.
Beth Shinn: That is a good question. In this part of the country, one could appeal to moral values and religious tenets, “love thy neighbor.” If I could answer your question, I would be shouting it from the rooftops.
There is a lack of affordable housing. Nationwide, we have the highest level of “worst case of housing needs” since we started tracking these things. Worst case housing needs are people who are below 50% of the median income and are paying more than 50% of their income toward housing or living in seriously deficient housing. At this point nationally, we have 8.5 million renters who fall into that category as of 2021, which is the most recent report. That is the highest number we have ever had.
Those are people who are really strapped…people who are living below 50% of area median income and are paying more than 50% of their income for rent, which does not leave much room for paying anything else.
Brad Durham: How would you define homelessness?
Beth Shinn: There are two basic definitions of homelessness. There is what the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) uses, which sometimes is called literal homelessness. Someone who is sleeping outdoors or a place where people are not intended to sleep such as a bus station or in a shelter or other homeless serving programs.
There is a broader definition that the Department of Education uses that includes additional folks: the largest group is people who are doubled up in other households because they cannot afford a place of their own. There are some additional groups such as folks staying temporarily in hotels.
Those are the two big definitions. We try to count the people who are homeless according to the HUD definition in January. That number is going up. We try to count the number of people in schools who fit the Department of Education definition. That doesn’t count anyone who is below school age. In Nashville, that number is looking worse as well.
About a third of the people who experience homelessness are a part of families. The age that you are most likely to be in a homeless shelter in the United States is infancy.
Brad Durham: The Finnish model in your book is encouraging and inspiring. They eliminated homelessness.
Beth Shinn: We are wealthier than Finland. We could choose to do it. It’s a choice.
Brad Durham: Do we have the federal and state money to do it in Tennessee?
Beth Shinn: There is money through HUD, and the housing choice voucher program is something that needs to be expanded. The other thing the Feds do is the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, and that helps developers create more affordable housing. Even with that tax credit, developers cannot develop and maintain housing that poor people can afford. LIHTC helps developers provide housing to people who are at about 80% of median income. Getting that down to 30% of area median income is really tough, and that is where the need is.
If you look at the people who are experiencing homelessness, they are around 15% of area median income. Disability benefits are too low to afford a studio apartment anywhere.
State and local funds can help, but regulations are part of what is causing homelessness. In Nashville, we have down-zoned the number of units that are permitted. In 1950, you could have built a duplex or triplex in a place where now only single-family homes are permitted. We need to allow for greater density. We need housing on transportation corridors. Some people like to say that it is the housing and transportation cost that we should be looking at together. It doesn’t really help if you can get housing way out (from work) because it increases the transportation cost of commuting to work.
Zoning requirements for parking are another thing that makes housing more expensive to build. Nashville is removing zoning requirements for parking downtown. There is a tradeoff between having more parking spaces or more housing units.
The Tennessee state legislature has tied our hands to incentivize developers to build affordable housing. You can’t say in Tennessee that we will give you a zoning variance to build more units if 10% of them are more affordable. The legislature has nixed that from happening.
State and local funding can help, but state and local regulations hurts. We need changes to state and local regulations to make it more possible to build affordable housing.
Brad Durham: Are you optimistic in what you are seeing in your research, or are you pessimistic about the numbers you are seeing in respect to solving homelessness?
Beth Shinn: What leaves me optimistic is that we generally know what to do. It is really at this point a question of resources. We have shown that we know how to end homelessness with families. We have shown how to end homelessness for people with serious mental illness and substance abuse disorders. We have shown how to end homelessness for veterans. It is matter of resources and political will.
It is not a matter of the poor are always going to be with us and we don’t know what to do, so we should just bury our heads in the sand. We have a lot of knowledge. We know something about prevention. We could know more there. We know something about what is generating homelessness. There is a GAO report that indicates that for every $100 increase in rent in a city (technically a continuum of care) there is a 9% increase in homelessness.
We need to build things that are not all mansions. We need to build smaller homes, what used to be called starter homes. Not everyone needs three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms and a white picket fence. We need to offer more kinds of housing to people.
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