NEWS BRIEFS

MNPD arrests homeless man in first mask mandate arrest

The Metro Nashville Police Department arrested Joseph Bryant, 61, for not wearing a mask while walking on Broadway in downtown Nashville where several tourists have been photographed not wearing masks in the wears before Bryant’s arrest.

Police charged Bryant with violating a board of health regulation. He was held on a $500 bond and is represented by the Metro Public Defender’s Office.

MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron told The Tennessean that Bryant “was warned to put a mask on, but he walked away without doing so.”

“He was placed into custody and a physical arrest made due to the belief that his defiant behavior would continue if only cited a second time,” Aaron said.

Nashville Financial Empowerment Center offers free, virtual one-onone financial counseling

The Financial Empowerment Center is expanding to meet the growing financial needs of Davidson County residents as a part of Nashville’s coordinated COVID-19 response.

The Financial Empowerment Center now offers services entirely virtually and is adding additional staff to meet demand, made possible by a grant from the Cities for Financial Empowerment — a national organization that helps cities across the U.S. embed financial empowerment programs within their local governments.

A partnership between United Way of Greater Nashville and the Mayor’s Office since 2013, the Financial Empowerment Center has offered free, one-on-one professional financial counseling to help clients manage bills, work through debt, establish and improve credit, create a budget, open a bank account and save for the future — available via phone or video.

“You may have been hit hard by the economic fallout of COVID-19. You may have chronic financial issues. Or, you may just want to know you are on the right track,” said Samantha Williams, Financial Empowerment Center manager. “No matter your income level or financial situation, the FEC is here for you. It isn’t always easy, but our professionally trained counselors are here to help you find the way forward.”

Over the last seven years, 8,000 Nashville clients have decreased their debt by $15.3 million dollars and increased their savings by $3 million. To schedule a free virtual financial counseling session, visit fec.nashville. gov or call 615-748-3620. The FEC does not provide direct financial assistance. For help with basic needs, such as food, shelter and emergency aid, call United Way’s 211 Helpline.

U.S. Government Accountability Office says homelessness increased in the US three years in a row

The Department of Housing and Urban Development found homelessness in the United States grew three years in a row from 2017 through 2019, according to a report released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office on Aug. 13.

Rising homelessness in metropolitan areas drove the increases, they said.

The U.S. Government Accountability says HUD’s count likely underestimated the homeless population. “Organizations across the U.S. provide data for this inherently difficult count,” the release says. “HUD could improve its instructions to them, which in turn could improve data quality.”

In addition, U.S. GAO’s statistical analysis found median rent increases of $100 a month were associated with a 9% increase in homelessness in the areas they examined.

The GAO took on the study because lawmakers have raised concerns about the extent to which recent increases in homelessness are associated with the availability of affordable housing, and because people experiencing homelessness can be difficult for agencies to track. The report examined efforts to measure homelessness and HUD’s oversight of these efforts and factors associated with recent changes in homelessness.

TN Legislature votes to make camping at the Capitol a felony

The Tennessee legislature approved a bill in a special session in mid-August that could be used to punish protestors for camping out at the Capitol.

For the past two months, people at the Capitol have spent the night on the grounds protesting against police brutality and demanding a meeting with Gov. Bill Lee.

“The individuals camping out across the street from this building are still there, because our governor refuses to meet with them and have a conversation,” Democtratic State Rep. John Ray Clemmons said in a release. “I have personally sent the governor two letters asking him to invite them into his office and listen. This is what he was elected to do — not hide in his office behind a wall of state troopers, for which Tennessee taxpayers continue to be billed.”

Republicans in the legislature argue that increasing penalties, and charging people with a felony for camping on Capitol grounds, is not a measure that restricts First Amendment rights, while others argue the new law is unconstitutional.