Vernon1 is transitionally homeless. Taken in by a local church, he now lives in a short-term housing structure on the property, working with pastoral and congregational support toward employment and, eventually, permanent housing. His goal, once he gets there, is to help others facing the same journey he’s on now.
What Vernon is living through is not an isolated case. It’s part of a much larger crisis. Last year, the National Alliance to End Homelessness reported the highest number of unhoused people in the United States since 2007. We have seen these statistics come to life in our own city of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Together, we took a course on poverty in the United States that left us troubled by the structural injustices contributing to the current unhoused crisis in our city and beyond. As part of this course, we had the chance to participate in the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, which aims to estimate the number of individuals experiencing homelessness on a given night. The 2025 official count of homelessness in Chattanooga was 1,092 individuals. Across the country, a total of 771,480 people were tallied. Knowing that well over 700,000 individuals lack a home every night, we could not ignore the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew: “Truly I tell you, whatever you do to the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”. What could we do for our brothers and sisters? Through this experience, we had the opportunity to research the current care that government, nonprofit organizations, and houses of worship offer to those experiencing homelessness, while simultaneously assisting, assessing, and documenting a small-scale transitional housing pilot project involving all three entities working together toward ending homelessness in Chattanooga. This is the very kind of program that has given Vernon a path forward.
Though programs exist that provide emergency resources, temporary housing, employment opportunities, and rehousing processes, the supply of these programs fails to meet the demand. One type of homelessness—transitional homelessness—is especially common here in Chattanooga. Transitional homelessness refers to individuals experiencing housing instability for a brief period, generally less than a year, distinct from chronic homelessness, which the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines as living in a place not meant for human habitation for at least 12 months. In Chattanooga’s 2025 PIT count, 40.6% of households experiencing homelessness had been unhoused for six months or less, and another 10.3% for six months to a year, meaning over half had been homeless for less than a year. The longer someone remains unhoused, the more alienated they become from society, and each day without a roof over their head, and the stability it provides, decreases their likelihood of escaping homelessness. Individuals who are experiencing transitional homelessness are therefore in a critical window, one in which society has an opportunity to reengage them on a level that is not as easily accessible for those experiencing chronic homelessness.
The federal government provides financial assistance to help cities support these vulnerable populations, including funding through HUD for subsidy programs such as vouchers. Housing Choice Vouchers help cover the gap between what a household can afford and the cost of rent. This kind of program is essential given the current lack of affordable housing on the market—a shortage that is itself a major contributing factor to the rise in transitional homelessness. Unfortunately, many landlords with decent, safe, and sanitary housing choose not to participate in the voucher system due to the administrative complexity of the program, severely restricting participants’ actual housing choices. Even though the final fiscal year 2026 HUD budget increased funding for vouchers nationally, local housing authorities, including here in Chattanooga, have frozen their waiting lists to new applicants due to funding shortages and rising market rents. The program’s future remains uncertain heading into fiscal year 2027. Even when vouchers are available, they can only be obtained through the referral of a homeless services case worker. Rachel Karman Hernandez, a former case worker who now serves as director of Young Life ONE working with youth experiencing homelessness, described this process as difficult to navigate given the limited number of case workers available, and effectively impossible to navigate without one. This difficulty perpetuates problems and steepens the dangerous slope from transitional to chronic homelessness.
The gap between resources and access to these resources is exactly where houses of worship and faith-based organizations can play a meaningful role. Among Christian congregations in particular, this role stems from a specific belief: the church is called to care for those who are vulnerable and marginalized. These organizations bring passionate people and a distinctive combination of resources including finances, property, skilled congregants, event space, and prayer. If more houses of worship or faith-based organizations in Chattanooga each committed to caring for even a small number of individuals, far more people experiencing homelessness in the city would have a community walking alongside them toward stability.
A handful of churches in Chattanooga are taking on this challenge by participating in a pilot program placing small 3D-printed structures on church properties for individuals experiencing homelessness. We had the opportunity to observe, assess, and assist in the launch of this program. Central to the calling of the church is the love of God and love of neighbor, especially our neighbors experiencing homelessness. The church is positioned to serve these brothers and sisters because of its focus on fostering community, its flexible funding, and its committed volunteer base. This program seeks to funnel those attributes into a tangible goal by placing short-term living structures on church properties. The project is a collaboration of Chattanooga’s local government officials, nonprofit organizations, a for-profit company, and multiple churches. Together, these institutions can present the kind of unified response that the crisis of transitional homelessness demands.
Alongside providing safe temporary shelter, churches participating in this pilot program walk alongside shelter tenants through a four-step roadmap toward permanent housing. Step one is immediate care and stabilization. Homelessness is often a traumatic experience and requires time to heal, with much of this support coming from the church congregation connecting the tenant to accessible resources. Step two involves obtaining proper documentation and job readiness, since the income and sense of purpose that employment provides are hugely beneficial to escaping homelessness. Step three is the application and action of the skills learned during step two. Once the tenant has acquired stable employment, they participate in a program teaching them how to obtain and maintain housing. Once they have completed that process, they are connected to Metropolitan Ministries, a local faith-based nonprofit that serves as what it calls an “impact hub,” partnering with other organizations to connect tenants with case workers, help them obtain necessary documentation, and support their pursuit of step four: permanent housing.
After witnessing the launch of this new pilot program in our own community, we are filled with hope that this small-scale solution could create a large impact. However, homelessness is a complex issue that requires complex solutions. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. For example, we may find this model works well in some neighborhoods or congregations but not others. Regardless, churches often struggle to meet the needs of their own congregation, let alone those as unique as an individual experiencing homelessness. Therefore, we know taking on a resident is not a small commitment to ask of a congregation. To aid with the complexities we have developed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) between churches and tenants. The goal of these MOUs is to create clear communication of expectations on both sides, but we cannot forget these documents can only go so far—ultimately this program relies on the relational buy-in of both church and tenant.
The small-scale pilot program is a viable method to love and support our unhoused neighbors. Through this program, the local church can become a bridge for an individual between resources and access to those resources. This particular pilot has grown out of Christian congregations, but it is not the only faithful way to respond, nor is it a responsibility every congregation must take up in the same form. The underlying model, pairing small-scale housing with sustained relational support, is one that other houses of worship, including synagogues and mosques, could adapt according to their own capacities and callings. Michael and I have also learned that we too are receivers, because walking alongside someone changes you too. We have prayed with, worked beside, and learned from our friend Vernon. Vernon’s story is proof of that. Restoration happens as people live life alongside one another and the gospel is lived out. What better place to do that than the church?
1. Vernon. “Hatfield Prize Interview.” Interview by Margot Kapic and Michael Mawhinney. In person, February 19, 2026.
For a fuller account, read the report, “Walking Alongside: Institutional Partnership and Transitional Housing in Chattanooga,” available here.
Margot Kapic is a 2026 Hatfield Prize recipient. She is a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a student, and is pursuing an undergraduate degree in economics at Covenant College. One of her favorite courses was U.S. Urban Poverty, taught by Dr. Lance Wescher. It opened her eyes to the structural and systematic brokenness that is a contributing factor of poverty in our country. Being born and raised in Chattanooga has deepened her interest in the alleviation of homelessness within her city. Working with organizations such as Metropolitan Ministries and The Chalmers Center gives her much hope. Daughter of a theologian and a non-profit innovation consultant, Margot’s background has laid the foundation for her to address social injustice and inequality. Her mom especially has instilled in her a drive to seek after justice for those without a voice. She is an active member of Northshore Fellowship Church.
Michael Mawhinney is a 2026 Hatfield Prize recipient. Originating from Sarasota FL, he is a junior undergraduate student at Covenant College pursuing an economics degree. Michael has been called by the Holy Spirit to pursue vocational ministry, and he plans to use his undergraduate degree to help him reach the poor and marginalized through whatever ministry the Lord puts him in. After taking Intro to the New Testament and U.S. Urban Poverty, Michael has been deeply concerned about how churches are reaching the poor and needy, as the gospel of Luke commands. He sees a prevalent need in the community and that churches have the opportunity to meet it if they are presented with the resources. He hopes to synthesize his economic analysis and research with his heart for ministry.
Lance Wescher, Ph.D. is a 2026 Hatfield Prize recipient and an Assistant Professor of Economics and the Chairman of the Department of Economics and Community Development at Covenant College. He also serves as the US Economic Development Specialist and is the Director of the IDA Pilot Program for the Chalmers Center for Economic and Community Development at Covenant College. Dr. Wescher earned his B.A. in Economics with a minor in Theology from Wheaton College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Notre Dame. Lance has worked in banking with Wells Fargo and Company and consulting with Hewitt Associates. His areas of research include Labor Economics, Health Economics, Pensions and Finance. Prior to coming to Covenant College, he taught Economics at Wheaton College.
Graphic by Center for Public Justice
