Prosperity Point, a transitional housing opportunity for homeless individuals, may become a reality in McMinnville.
A joint meeting of the city Building and Grounds Committee and Streets and Sanitation Committee was held Tuesday. Approved was continued consideration toward donating a portion of unused land at 946 Sunset Point Road to an organization called Homeless of McMinnville Effort, or HOME.
HOME requested the city lease or sell a portion of its land for construction of Prosperity Point, a place that would provide individuals with a temporary housing opportunity as they transition from homeless to permanent housing.
“This won’t be a tent city. It’s going to look nice,” said HOME co-founder Tina Higgins on Thursday.
Added co-founder Sheila Fann, “It’s not going to be a place where people go and stay forever. There will be term limits. It will be a soft place to fall for a short period of time.”
HOME board of directors member Bill Davis says the long-term plan is to construct a community center and 10 tiny homes, both single-person units and some slightly larger for families.
“We’ve got someone willing to construct our first tiny home,” said Davis. “Are we going to have 10 buildings immediately? No. Can we have a few by, hopefully, next fall? I believe so. We are spending thousands of dollars a week putting people up through the winter months when we could do something different here.”
The community center would be used to provide educational opportunities to those who need it.
“We have people willing to come in and provide classes,” said Davis. “How to open a checking account or a savings account. How to manage money. Work on their drug rehab. Work on their faith.”
Davis emphasized the desire to have a nice place.
“It’s not going to be trashy. We will have rules to follow,” he said. “They will be strictly enforced. We will have to make examples out of a few. There’s no doubt about that. For the most part, people want to get better. They just don’t know how.”
City administrator Nolan Ming added that he contacted Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency (UCHRA) and was told Prosperity Point could be added as a stop on one of its transportation routes.
City attorney Tim Pirtle discouraged the city from leasing the property.
“If the city’s land is what the organization needs, it would be my recommendation to donate the land or sell it at a very reasonable price and not retain ownership of the property because retaining ownership would come with strings attached,” said Pirtle. “You are talking about people who are in transitory stages of life and I imagine, as with most shelters, there are lots and lots of issues that can arise. From the city’s standpoint, it would be far better to give them the deed than it would be to remain in ownership of the property and be potentially liable.”
Alderman Everett Brock suggested a revisionary clause be placed on the transfer that would deed the property back to the city if the property is not used for that particular purpose.
Pirtle, who questioned the distance between the tiny homes and the city’s transfer station, as well as a landfill located across the street, suggested an environmental study be done before donating the property.
Committee members unanimously approved continued consideration toward donating a portion of its land on Sunset Point Road to Homeless of McMinnville Effort (HOME).
