The Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition has released results from its 2026 point-in-time count, reporting a decrease in the number of individuals experiencing homelessness across Southeast Tennessee.
Conducted on the night of Jan. 28, the annual count identified 939 people experiencing homelessness across the region’s 11-county Continuum of Care. That total represents a 14% decrease compared to 2025 figures.
Of those counted, 607 individuals were unsheltered – a 7.5% decline from the previous year – while 332 were staying in shelters, marking a sharper 23.9% decrease.
The point-in-time count, required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, provides a one-night snapshot used to help determine federal funding allocations for homelessness services. Local officials emphasize that the data reflects only a single moment in time and should be considered alongside broader trends.
“As federal homelessness funding continues to evolve, the point-in-time count remains a critical tool for ensuring our community is accurately represented in those decisions,” says Mackenzie Kelly, executive director of the coalition. “While the count does give us an important snapshot of homelessness in our region, it is only a piece of a much larger picture.”
Kelly notes that despite the year-over-year decrease, the region faces ongoing challenges tied to shifting federal priorities and increased competition for limited resources.
To complete the 2026 count, the coalition and its partners used a combination of data collection methods, including observational counts, standard HUD-required surveys and a universal housing assessment survey designed to connect individuals with services.
Teams conducted surveys at service locations, performed outreach to known encampments, coordinated field coverage across the region’s counties and incorporated data from shelters through the Homeless Management Information System.
Coalition officials say the multi-pronged approach helps provide a more comprehensive estimate, though they acknowledge that some individuals experiencing homelessness might still go uncounted on any given night.
Voting machines ready for early voting
The Hamilton County Election Commission has completed public testing of early voting machines ahead of the May 5 county primary, with officials reporting no issues.
Seventeen machines designated for early voting were tested, along with high-speed ballot scanners, according to external auditor Quinten Howard.
The testing process is designed to ensure each machine accurately tabulates ballots and complies with state regulations. Officials noted that the machines are not connected to the internet and will be used exclusively during the early voting period, which runs from April 15-30.
Following testing, all vote totals were reset to zero, and Howard signed off on each machine to verify that no votes remained recorded.
Tamper-evident seals were then installed on the machines. Each seal carries a unique serial number that is logged and maintained by auditors to help ensure security.
Election officials say an additional public test will be conducted for machines designated for Election Day precincts. That test is scheduled for April 22 at 9 a.m. at the commission’s headquarters on River Terminal Road and will be open to both media and the public.
Rehab hospital breaks ground in Ooltewah
A new inpatient rehabilitation hospital is coming to Hamilton County, as CommonSpirit Health – Memorial Hospital and Lifepoint Rehabilitation broke ground on a 40-bed facility this week.
The hospital, to be located on Mountain View Road in Ooltewah, is expected to open to patients next spring and will expand access to specialized rehabilitation services in the region.
The facility, to be known as CommonSpirit – Memorial Rehabilitation Hospital, will operate as a joint venture between CommonSpirit – Memorial Hospital and Lifepoint Rehabilitation, a division of Lifepoint Health. Lifepoint Rehabilitation will oversee day-to-day operations once the hospital opens.
The new hospital will serve adults recovering from a range of serious conditions, including stroke, brain and spinal cord injuries, neurological disorders, orthopedic surgeries and amputations.
Once completed, the hospital will join Lifepoint Rehabilitation’s growing national network of nearly 50 inpatient rehabilitation facilities.
League of Women Voters promotes voter guide
The League of Women Voters of Chattanooga is encouraging Hamilton County residents to use its online voter resource ahead of the upcoming election season, highlighting the launch of candidate information on Vote411.
The online guide will feature responses from candidates in the Hamilton County Primary Election, scheduled for May. The League said it contacted 46 candidates and asked each the same three questions, publishing their responses verbatim to provide voters with a clear, side-by-side comparison of positions on key issues.
Sandra McCrea, president of the local League chapter, said Vote411 is a key tool for voter education and is intended to provide reliable, nonpartisan information to help voters make informed decisions before going to the polls.
According to the organization, local volunteers contributed significant time to collecting and compiling the candidate information. The League said it aims to make the platform a widely used, dependable source for election information throughout the year.
The Vote411 guide will be updated to cover all three major 2026 election cycles: the Hamilton County Primary Election in May, the Hamilton County General Election and state and federal primary in August, and the state and federal general election in November.
Civics Essay Contest winners are announced
Winners of the eighth annual Civics Essay Contest will be honored April 30 at the Joel W. Solomon United States Courthouse in Chattanooga, with a ceremony scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
In the high school division, Victoria Matthews placed first, followed by Eshanth Eriki in second and Lucy Finch in third. Middle school winners include Alex Bright in first place, Ethan McKenzie in second and Mia Litchford in third. All winners will receive cash prizes at the ceremony.
The contest is held annually and is open to public, private and home-schooled students across 17 counties in East Tennessee and three counties in North Georgia. It is co-sponsored by the court’s Chattanooga Civics and Outreach Subcommittee and the Federal Bar Association Chattanooga Chapter.
This year’s essay prompt asked students to address a constitutional question expected to come before the Supreme Court of the United States: whether the Fourth Amendment protects a cell phone user’s location data.
The local contest is held in conjunction with a national civics essay competition sponsored annually by the Federal Bar Association.
Red Bank joins downtowns program
The city of Red Bank has been accepted into round ten of the Tennessee Downtowns Program, a competitive statewide effort aimed at strengthening historic downtown districts through preservation, economic development and community revitalization.
Administered by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, the program supports participating communities by building on existing assets, encouraging investment and fostering long-term growth.
City officials called the selection a significant milestone as leaders, stakeholders and community partners work to enhance the vitality and identity of Red Bank’s downtown district.
The program will begin with a kickoff meeting May 6, 2026, at the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville, where up to five city representatives will attend training and networking sessions with peer communities.