The Chattanooga Housing Authority has temporarily frozen the funding for its Housing Choice Voucher program. The agency took this action to ensure the financial stability of the program, CHA officials say.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allocates program funding based on congressional appropriations. For 2025, HUD has indicated funding proration percentages as low as 88.6%. This level of proration could limit CHA’s ability to meet its obligations and lead to a shortfall unless action is taken, CHA officials explain.
With this in mind, CHA is taking steps to prevent shortfalls and ensure families currently receiving assistance will remain housed without disruption. Because of this, no new vouchers will be issued until further notice.
Current participants with active housing assistance program contracts will continue to receive assistance without interruption. New admission voucher holders currently searching for housing will still be processed unless CHA receives a directive from HUD to cease processing these vouchers.
Information
Walnut Street Bridge app available
The Walnut Street Bridge app is now available on Apple’s App Store and is coming soon to Google’s mobile platforms. The app provides updates and essential information to help the Chattanooga community navigate the coming changes.
Through the app, users can access detour routes and construction updates, details about temporary art installations along alternative routes, deals and offers from North Shore merchants and general information about Chattanooga and its attractions.
The city will begin renovating Walnut Street Bridge March 17. Pre-construction preparations, including fencing and platform installation on the underside of the bridge, will start Feb. 17. The bridge will remain open during the setup phase and then close March 17.
The $35.3 million renovation will span 18 months and include stripping and repainting the structure to prevent rust, replacing the aging timber decking, upgrading the wiring to support the installation of modern lighting and advanced security features and structural repairs.
The city has designated the Veterans Memorial Bridge as an alternative route for pedestrians and cyclists during construction. This route will feature lane closures and protective barriers for safety.
For more information, download the Walnut Street Bridge app in the Apple App Store. To sign up for free text alerts, text “WSB” to 423 249-9181.
Hamilton 911 adds artificial intelligence
Hamilton County 911’s newest hire is Evelyn, an AI-powered call-handling assistant. Evelyn will handle non-emergency calls on the agency’s seven-digit lines. Live call takers will continue to answer all 911 calls.
Emergency Communications District Executive Director Jeff Carney says Evelyn is under the supervision of a dedicated telecommunicator who will monitor every call.
“That will ensure that the correct actions have been implemented.”
Carney adds that Evelyn will streamline operations and allow his team to focus on high priority calls.
“Many people don’t realize that the same personnel who answer the 911 lines also answer the seven-digit non-emergency line. Utilizing the AI assistant will allow our call takers to direct their attention to the emergency calls.”
At this phase of implementation, Evelyn is forwarding non-emergency calls to records, courts and utilities while also reporting watch lists and burn permits.
Evelyn will also assist with vehicle repossessions and private property tow requests, says 911 board of directors chairman Dr. Richard Brown.
Automated phone attendants have been a fixture in many industries for years and are now becoming an integral part of 911 centers across the country, says Carney.
Chattanooga schools launch Future Fund
Chattanooga 2.0 and a group of local funding partners have launched a program designed to pave a path to a post-secondary education for more Hamilton County Schools graduates.
Economic forecasters estimate that up to 70% of jobs in the Chattanooga region will require a post-secondary credential within the next five years, notes a news release from Chattanooga 2.0, a nonprofit that focuses on enhancing economic opportunity in Hamilton County. However, due to costs, fewer than 60% of Hamilton County Schools’ graduates are immediately enrolling in a post-secondary education program.
Closing that gap is one of the main goals of the Chattanooga Future Fund.
As of Jan. 23, every kindergarten and middle school student in a Hamilton County public school is eligible to receive $150 in a career and college savings account. The account will then be open to additional contributions by family members, community members, businesses, churches, civic organizations and the students themselves.
Upon graduation, the student will be free to use the money in his or her account for college tuition, trade certifications, technical training, or education-related costs like housing and transportation.