The 2025 Neighborhood Registration Campaign is underway at the city of Chattanooga’s Neighborhood Services Division. The annual initiative invites local neighborhood associations to register with the city to ensure up-to-date contact information, meeting schedules and board member details are on file.
Registration is free for eligible neighborhood groups and offers access to neighborhood services grants, a dedicated neighborhood relations specialist and updates on city affairs.
Register a neighborhood association at cha.city/neighborhoods. For assistance with the registration process, contact Neighborhood Services at neighborhoods@chattanooga.gov or 423 567-5389.
The 2025 registration campaign concludes at the close of business Feb. 28.
County deeds land to Room in the Inn
The Hamilton County Commission has approved a resolution to deed 3.5 acres to Chattanooga Room in the Inn. The land will allow the shelter to expand its services, which include transitional housing and support for women and children experiencing homelessness.
Room in the Inn serves over 100 women and children each year. With the shelter consistently at full capacity, it must turn away an average of 60 individuals per month due to space limitations.
Room in the Inn Executive Director Taylor Hixson says the shelter is conducting a study that will lead to the development of a plan to build a larger facility on the donated property.
“We’re grateful for county leaders who took the time to visit our facility, witness the need firsthand and meet the women and children we serve,” Hixson adds. “I’m proud to live in Hamilton County, where our leaders are dedicated to improving the lives of residents.”
Crime decreases in Collegedale
Crime is down in Collegedale, according to the Collegedale Police Department (CPD)’s 2024 annual report, which details a year of crime reduction.
Under the leadership of Chief Jack Sapp, decreases occurred in several key crime categories including driving under the influence (down from 86 in 2023 to 47 in 2024, a decrease of 45.3%), drug-related crimes (down from 248 in 2023 to 201 in 2024, a decrease of 18.9%) and assaults (down from 37 in 2023 to 28 in 2024, a decrease of 24.3%).
In addition, sex crimes were down from 16 in 2023 to nine in 2024 for a 43.7% decrease and reports of harassment fell from 30 in 2023 to 20 in 2024 for a 33.3% drop.
Sapp credits these successes to the dedication of his officers and the support of Collegedale’s residents and business community.
“Our officers work tirelessly to uphold the highest standards of public safety. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made in reducing crime and remain committed to continuous improvement in our service to the community.”
While the report highlights several encouraging trends, it also acknowledges areas of concern, including increases in domestic assault cases and reports of child or elder abuse. Domestic assaults increased from 30 in 2023 to 32 in 2024 (a 6.6% increase), while reports of child abuse jumped from 10 in 2023 to 14 in 2024 (a 40% increase) and accounts of elder abuse rose from one in 2023 to three in 2024 (a 200% increase).
Snapp says the CPD is taking these concerns seriously, working with social services, advocacy groups and other law enforcement partners to provide support and intervention for all the victims of these crimes.
“Our commitment to the citizens of Collegedale remains unwavering. We will continue to diligently patrol our neighborhoods, engage with the community and respond swiftly to all
calls for service. Public safety is a shared responsibility, and we encourage residents to remain vigilant and engaged in efforts to help us keep Collegedale a safe and welcoming place for everyone.”
Homeless Coalition counts unsheltered
The Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition (CRHC) hosted its annual Point-in-Time Count (PIT Count) on behalf of the TN-500 Continuum of Care and in compliance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on the night of Jan. 22.
The PIT Count is intended to serve as a snapshot of homelessness on a single night in January. HUD uses the data collected through the PIT Count to determine how to best allocate resources for housing and services to providers across the country.
Methods used during the 2025 PIT Count included observing individuals who were suspected to be experiencing homelessness but declined or were unable to participate in the survey due to sleeping, incapacitation or being otherwise unreachable, and asking the questions HUD mandated.
The PIT Count also doubled as enrollment into the Continuum of Care’s Coordinated Entry System, which links participants to housing services.
Counting took four primary forms: surveying at brick-and-mortar locations where persons were likely to present; outreach conducted at known encampment s; search-party style coverage of the remainder of the county; and Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data collected by HMIS-participating shelters.
CRHC’s data team is working to de-duplicate and double-check data to ensure an accurate count. The CRHC will provide the official 2025 PIT Count results later this year.
CRHC is a nonprofit that serves 11 counties in Southeast Tennessee. It exists to coordinate efforts to prevent and end homelessness throughout the region. More at homelesscoalition.org.