By Logan Langlois
NASHVILLE, TN — Among applause and celebration, Nashville welcomed the opening Davidson County’s first publicly developed permanent supportive housing project last week. Strobel House, located at 110 Jo Johnson Avenue, is open and accepting applications from unhoused individuals looking for physical, mental and emotional support. The furnished, modern-looking building currently offers a total of 90 individual living spaces. These living spaces are complete with a bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen. Many of the people who took part in the construction or funding of the building were in attendance during the opening day ceremony, as well as many of those who will be operating Strobel House’s facilities and services that will be made available to the formally unhoused, including Office of Homeless Services Director April Calvin.
“It is the embodiment of our housing first philosophy,” Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said to the crowd and media shortly before the celebration’s ribbon cutting. “When someone is experiencing homelessness, we do want to make sure that first they have an opportunity to be housed, and then ensure that it fits the individual needs of residents.”
Strobel House will offer wrap-around services to help tenants adjust to housed living. Strobel House also offers laundry accessibility on each floor of the facility, mailboxes, bike racks on-site, as well as a state-of-the-art computer lab. Strobel House proponents have said great care has been taken to make the building feel like a home rather than an institution, such as adding panoramic views of Music City’s downtown area. Strobel House has also been constructed near Metro transit to ensure tenants have easy access to transportation, and near the Metro Parks Greenway for any outdoor walking residents may like to partake in.
During the ceremony, Executive Director of Room in the Inn Rachel Hester spoke a little about the man who Strobel House is named after, Rev. Charles Strobel. Strobel was a legendary humanitarian who founded Room in the Inn, which began its career in public service in 1985 when it partnered with four congregations to provide winter emergency shelters. Hester said she thinks Strobel would have been “honored and humbled” to have his name on a building ready to bring relief to the community he loved serving.
“Affordable housing is a critical need of any city. Nashville’s real estate market has driven rents to a level out of reach for those who earn from zero to 60% of immediate income,” Hester read off a letter she recently found that had been written by Charles Strobel regarding Strobel House, before his death at age 80 on Aug 6, 2023. “This trend can cripple a city. This project reverses that trend.”
During the ceremony, O’Connell took time to highlight that Strobel House was possible through the dedicated efforts of many different people over various organizations, including both governmental and nonprofit. O’Connell said the people who have made the housing a reality include four different mayoral administrations, all of whom deserve recognition.
“Mayor Barry was right to begin the conversation. Mayor Briley was right to continue it. Mayor Cooper was right to decide to name it for Charlie as he can continue it,” O’Connell said. “I am proud to be here today having worked with all of them to help it get open and stay open.”
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