A look at the temporary shelters at the Fairgrounds Nashville

BY HANNAH HERNER

For some experiencing homelessness in the time of COVID-19, a warehouse at the Fairgrounds Nashville has become the “home” in “stay-at-home.”

When the stay-at-home order went into effect in Nashville on March 22, CEO of Nashville Rescue Mission Glenn Cranfield says the organization’s downtown campus gave shelter to 100 more men than at the same time last year came to the mission. That’s why Cranfield said the organization went to Metro Social Services about an overflow shelter — to get some guests to another location in order to spread out more at the main campus.

With other homeless service providers like Room In The Inn working at bare bones staffing levels, people needing shelter downtown were funneling to Nashville Rescue Mission. The organization now serves as a gothrough to a temporary shelter at the fairgrounds. The fairgrounds shelter cannot be accessed directly.

Before people are bussed to the fairgrounds shelter, Neighborhood Health is in charge of the pre-screening — taking temperatures and checking for other possible COVID-19 symptoms. Once the guests get to the fairgrounds, they are under the jurisdiction of Metro Social Services, and St. Thomas takes over on the medical side.

Back at the main campus of Nashville Rescue Mission, the number of men coming to the main campus has almost negated the extra space opened up by sending some to the fairgrounds, says Cranfield. Still, beds are six feet apart and nobody sleeps in the top bunks, lines for hot meals are spaced out, and chapel and volunteer services are suspended. They’ve invested in the type of cleaning gear used to clean surgical rooms, Cranfield says. In contrast, Nashville Rescue Mission’s Women’s Campus has seen very little growth in the number of guests after the stay-at-home order was put in place.

As of press time, there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at any of the three shelters.

“It’s working and it’s not spreading within that homeless shelter, which is a blessing,” says Jay Servais, district chief of the Office of Emergency Management. “We could have an outbreak on our hands, you know? And we’re not because I think we’re being blessed and I think we’re doing something right.”

Why the fairgrounds? Why not somewhere with separate rooms?

Servais, director of the fairgrounds shelter, was in charge of acquiring the space and staffing it. For him, the choice to host this emergency shelter at the fairgrounds came down to money, space, staffing and time.

The Fairgrounds Nashville was already Metro property, so they didn’t have to set up a contract or pay any rent for the space, Servais says. In two buildings, one of 35,000 feet and another of 46,000 feet, there is room to maintain social distance between both well people and those who may be sick or are being tested because they have symptoms. Having a larger open space means Metro Social Services had to provide fewer staff to oversee the facility than if they used a facility with individual rooms.

At the end of the day, in the eyes of Metro Nashville and the federal government, the nature of this shelter is that it was set up for an emergency, not a more permanent solution. Plus, it was approved by the Tennessee Department of Health, Servais says.

“We were in an emergency situation needing an emergency shelter and that’s what we put up,” Servais says. “I didn’t have time to wheel and deal for five or six weeks on a contract for a hotel, not knowing if it’s going to be federally funded or not.”

What’s going to happen if people staying at the shelter test positive?

The fairgrounds has designated one “well” building and one “sick” building. In each, every guest has their own roughly 10x10 area. The “sick” building has the capacity to further isolate up to five people in another part of the building should they be confirmed positive for COVID-19. If the numbers reach more than five and up to 15, that group will be moved to the Coleman Community Center. At 16 or more, the Municipal Auditorium downtown will be opened up.

Test results are taking seven days to process because they’re sent to Memphis: That’s longer than the drive through testing centers stationed throughout Nashville, which has a wait time of about three days, says Servais. While they await results, people stay in the sick building, socially distanced.

What do Contributor vendors think about it?

At the fairgrounds shelter, guests can get a day pass to leave for work, which some Contributor vendors have utilized. The Nashville Rescue Mission did not respond as of press time to a request for comment on the ability of vendors of The Contributor to leave to sell papers.

Contributor vendor Joey S. has been staying at the Nashville Rescue Mission on and off for around 10 years. He signed up to have the opportunity to go to the temporary fairgrounds shelter while sheltering in place at the Mission’s main campus, and ended up moving out there. Joey normally works at a movie theater in addition to selling The Contributor. He’s opted to collect unemployment for the time being, which he could do because of his job at the movie theater, or as a self-employed independent contractor for The Contributor.

Joey says this shelter is a step up from the conditions he’s experienced at Nashville Rescue Mission.

“Thank God I am getting unemployment benefits and I am at the fairgrounds,” he says. “So much better. Think about this, we have a pillow and people don’t. Seriously, are you kidding me? The food is 10 times better here. We can sleep in till 6 a.m. Showers are 10 times better. People in the mission have crap in the floor and in the bathroom. No laundry at the mission. So I’m not scared, but so tired of that place.”

Who is paying?

Food and laundry services were donated, and any money spent on other resources and staff will be paid by Metro Social Services and the Office of Emergency Management. They expect to be reimbursed by federal emergency funds, Servais says.

Who is involved?

The fairgrounds shelter is a partnership between Second Harvest Food Bank, the Office of Emergency Management, Metro Social Services, Metro Park Police, Rock Solid Security, St. Thomas Emergency Medical Services, Electronic Express, Ferguson Appliance and the Nashville Rescue Mission.