Скачать или смотреть Quarantine pods sit in storage as questions remain about their use for homelessness

For more than four years, 108 portable pallet shelters purchased with $1.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds have been sitting in storage, unused and unseen.

Originally intended for quarantine during the pandemic, the shelters have long been eyed by community advocates as a potential tool to address Nashville's ongoing homelessness crisis. Yet despite public pressure and mayoral promises, there’s been little movement to get them back into service.

FOX 17 News first reported on the pods in 2021, when a small number were deployed near the Nashville Rescue Mission. Their use was quickly halted due to a series of roadblocks from permitting and fire safety to a lack of site infrastructure, and the shelters were moved to an undisclosed storage location.

In June, Mayor Freddie O’Connell addressed the issue during a public roundtable, saying:

“We have worked with local codes and our fire department, and we have worked with state officials to make sure that these could be used. Just this week, we issued an RFP [Request for Proposal]. We’re very excited to get these into the hands of local providers so they can more effectively serve our homeless residents.”

However, when FOX 17 requested an update, the mayor’s office confirmed that the Office of Homeless Services had issued an RFP, calling on nonprofit and community groups to manage up to 25 pallet shelters. Nevertheless, no organizations applied before the June 20th deadline.

While several local groups expressed interest, the city says many lacked either the funding or access to land needed to meet the project’s requirements. The RFP called for organizations to prepare a site, oversee daily operations, provide on-site services, and track resident outcomes through a centralized system.

Community advocate Barry Dupnik says it's time for action:

“I’m thinking these pods need to either be used or scrapped. Paying to have them stored — let’s do something with the pods. Who’s in charge of making the move on this?”
According to city officials, a revised RFP is in the works, informed by the feedback from nonprofits that previously couldn’t meet the criteria. The new proposal aims to make the process more accessible and realistic for community partners.

The Office of Homeless Services says they expect to release the updated RFP soon, though no official timeline has been shared.

READ MORE: https://fox17.com/features/high-cost-...

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