Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) is strengthening how our emergency shelter works so more of our unhoused neighbors have fair access to the limited beds and support available in our community. We are empowering people to join in our Restoration Pathway that fosters dignity and accountability to break the cycle of homelessness and prepare for a flourishing life in the community.
Historically, KARM has provided permanent emergency days of shelter. This practice has slowed individuals from exiting homelessness and has limited access for others who are seeking shelter and support. This has created dependency, over capacity, and stifled access for others needing shelter. Chronic homelessness is vastly growing in our community, and we want to be a solution.
“The number of people experiencing homelessness in Knoxville and Knox County has doubled since 2018, and our community must innovate to move people toward housing and healing. KARM’s new service model will provide what is really needed in emergency shelter: a temporary refuge and an open door to housing,” said Erin Read, Executive Director of the Knoxville-Knox County Office of Housing Stability.
In this model, guests are provided with 28 emergency days, during which we focus on stabilizing immediate crises, addressing health needs, and connecting them with case management and programs that help move them toward housing and long-term stability. In the first 28 days of someone’s stay, they will go through our intake process. We will orient them to the services that are provided and connect them with a case manager. We’re going to meet and address the crisis. They can stay here as long as it takes to get housing, as long as they’re checking in with a case manager every 30 days. If someone chooses not to engage in these supports, their bed may be made available to another neighbor in need, and they are always welcome to return later and reconnect with services when they are ready.
This model helps us serve more people, reduce long term dependency on shelter, and create clearer pathways towards restoration. Structured shelter timelines align with recommendations from the National Alliance to End Homelessness, which emphasizes low-barrier but goal-oriented shelter models that promote housing readiness and reduce long-term shelter stays.
“This reality — of inaccessible beds, or of shelters staying full — will inadvertently contribute to an increase in unsheltered homelessness or individuals experiencing extended prolonged periods of sheltered homelessness. This increases the likelihood of trauma, worsening mental and physical health conditions, and elevating the risk of mortality. By prioritizing engagement, shelters can play a pivotal role in fostering an effective, efficient, and equitable homeless response system. This will lead to better outcomes for individuals experiencing homelessness and the community they live in, and help to reduce unsheltered homelessness overall,” (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2025).
We’ve done the research to find if a model like this works. We looked to Shelter KC in Kansas City, MO; Denver Rescue Mission in Denver, CO; Atlanta Mission in Atlanta, GA; and Cherry Street Mission in Toledo, OH, and it works. Hope begins, healing happens, and restoration lasts.
KARM’s commitment to serving the most vulnerable in our community remains.
