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There are several shelters in our area, each with their own requirements for staying there. We recommend reaching out to the Chattanooga Rescue Mission, Maclellan Shelter for Families, CHATT Foundation, or Bradley County - Cleveland Emergency Shelter. On particularly cold nights, the Cold Weather Shelter at CHATT Foundation is available.

No, CRHC does not help people get housing or pay for rent.

In the Southeast TN region, we use what is called the Universal Housing Assessment (UHA) to connect folks to housing resources. Many of the housing service providers in our region have been trained on the UHA and can help complete one with you. If you are working with an agency or nonprofit, ask to see if they can complete a UHA with you. If they are unaware of the UHA, ask them to connect with the CRHC.

Resources to keep people in housing are scattered throughout our region and may not always be available. We recommend reaching out to the Eviction Prevention Initiative, 211, findhelp.org, your nearest United Way branch, or local faith communities for assistance.

Some of our partner organizations that serve families with children include Partnership for Families Children and Adults, Chattanooga Room in the Inn, Maclellan Shelter for Families, the Families in Transition program within Hamilton County Schools, the Family Justice Center, the Family Resource Agency, and Family Promise of Bradley County.

If you are fleeing a domestic violence situation, we encourage you to get to safety immediately. You can reach out to Partnership for Families Children and Adults, Harbor Safe House, or the Hope Center.

Section 8 and Public Housing are handled by local Public Housing Authorities (e.g., the Chattanooga Housing Authority, SETHRA, etc.). Affordable or income-based housing developments may be available in your area and are often managed through private management companies; although some developers like Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise exist to help connect individuals to affordable housing opportunities.

If you have access to them, a government-issued photo ID, birth certificate, and some way to verify your social security number are extremely helpful to have if you are seeking housing assistance. Any verification of income (employment, benefits, etc.) is also very helpful.

How long the wait is will depend on what housing opportunities you are seeking and which local programs you qualify for. If you have taken a Universal Housing Assessment (UHA) with one of our trained partner agencies, the wait can range from a few weeks to 6+ months. The most important thing you can do is to stay in contact with a case manager and let them know your still needing housing. They will not be able to speed up the process to connect you to housing resources, but staying in touch with them makes sure you remain on the list for housing referrals.

Yes, there are services specifically for veterans through the VA. They will need to be able to verify your veteran status in order to qualify for services. To reach out, you can contact the Chattanooga VA Clinic.

First, we are so sorry that finding help has been difficult. We are grateful for your courage to continue seeking help. Because who different programs are allowed to help changes so frequently, it can be difficult to find the organization that will be the right fit. We encourage you to keep reaching out to resource hubs like 211, findhelp.org, or local faith communities to see if any new programs have started in the area that might be able to help.