A coalition of nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups and the United Way of Greater Nashville is working to reduce homelessness across Tennessee by improving coordination among service providers and addressing the underlying causes of housing instability.
More than 8,800 Tennesseans were identified as experiencing homelessness during the 2025 point-in-time count, an annual one-night survey used to measure homelessness nationwide. Advocates say the actual number of people experiencing housing instability is likely higher because many individuals and families are temporarily staying with relatives or friends.
Chris Dial, project manager for the Canopy Initiative, said the coalition is taking a collective approach that brings together service providers, community organizations and other stakeholders to develop more sustainable solutions.
“The Canopy Initiative is really made up of a core group of our direct service providers,” Dial said. “We’re trying to bring other partners and other representatives into that space to expand the ownership of the issue and also involve all of the community.”
Dial said many organizations traditionally address homelessness through individual services, such as providing meals, temporary employment assistance or emergency shelter. While those efforts meet immediate needs, he believes lasting progress requires changes to the broader systems contributing to homelessness.
“That impact on that individual or that household, while it’s wonderful, it does nothing to change the systems that are contributing to homelessness,” Dial said. “And so it doesn’t really do anything to alter the way that we’re operating around that issue.”
The initiative also seeks to broaden public understanding of homelessness, which extends beyond individuals living on sidewalks, in vehicles or in emergency shelters.
Dial emphasized that many families experiencing housing instability are considered provisionally sheltered, meaning they temporarily stay with relatives or friends without having a permanent residence or legal right to remain.
Drawing on his previous experience working in a school district in Clarksville, Dial recalled the significant number of children whose families faced unstable housing arrangements.
“There were 1,300 children in my hometown that were identified at some point in that year as experiencing homelessness,” Dial said. “Again, most of them were ‘provisionally sheltered.’ They were ‘doubled up.’ But those families don’t have any legal right to stay where they’re staying.”
Such arrangements can leave families vulnerable to sudden displacement, disrupting children’s education, employment and access to essential services.
Another challenge, Dial said, is the lack of coordinated information among organizations serving unhoused residents. In Montgomery County, data is scattered across multiple providers, making it difficult to develop a comprehensive picture of local needs or measure the effectiveness of assistance programs.
The Canopy Initiative hopes to improve information sharing and strengthen collaboration so organizations can better identify service gaps, direct resources and help families achieve long-term housing stability.
The effort comes as Tennessee communities continue to grapple with rising housing costs, limited affordable housing options and growing demand for emergency assistance.
For Dial, reducing homelessness requires more than providing temporary relief. It means building a coordinated community response that addresses the conditions contributing to housing insecurity while helping individuals and families secure stable places to live.
