According to Homelessness is a Housing Problem, which we can't
recommend highly enough, the reason some cities have more homelessness than
others isn't about individual vulnerabilities. Cities with
higher levels of homelessness don't generally have higher rates of drug use
or mental illness, and most communities with higher poverty rates actually
have lower levels of homelessness. Instead, when comparing one city to
another, the root causes of homelessness almost always come down to
housing. In particular, as a rule, U.S. cities are more likely
to have high rates of homelessness when their inhabitants face two things:
higher rent and fewer available rentals.
We look at those factors here. Median rent compares monthly
rental costs between Knoxville, Tennessee, and the United States. Likewise,
occupancy rates highlight how “tight” the Knoxville market is compared with
state and national trends: the higher the rate, the fewer rental units are
available to those in search of housing. It's a salient fact: Knoxville saw the greatest rent growth in the country in
2022.
As we speak, the City of Knoxville and Knox County, along with local
nonprofits and private developers, are actively working to increase
housing stock in our community. In our view, such developments
can't come soon enough. We at KnoxHMIS humbly ask all Knox readers to
remember this urgent need for affordable housing – and for all types of
housing – when new development is considered in your own neighborhoods.
We'll vow to do the same.
Median Knox County rent has risen faster than comparable
cities since 2020
Median Rent
The occupancy rate for Knox County housing has dropped
since its peak in 2021, but remains above the national median.
Occupancy Rate
Precipitating Events: What Led to
Your Homelessness
Filter by
Subpopulation
Annual
Counts (All)
HOVER over donut
chart to see how often each cause is reported.
Quarterly Counts (All)
Click causes to select/deselect
Bed Utilization by Program Type
Permanent Housing (Total Bed Capacity: )
Annual Report
KnoxHMIS provides an annual report detailing the state of
homelessness in the
community. Reports are available to download by following the link below.
One of the easiest ways to find out more about services for
someone
experiencing homelessness is by dialing 211, Tennessee’s community services help line.
KnoxHMIS provides reports on unique subpopulations experiencing
homelessness.
These reports provide specific information not included in this dashboard.
If you have questions or comments concerning this dashboard or
homelessness
in Knoxville, please contact the Knoxville-Knox County Office of Housing Stability
This is an approximate DAILY AVERAGE count of individuals staying in shelters, transitional housing, or
places
not meant for habitation. In keeping with HUD guidelines, this count does not include individuals who
are
“doubled up” or “couch surfing” temporarily with extended family or friends.
Stably Housed Daily Average
This is an approximate DAILY AVERAGE count of individuals with prior experiences of homelessness now
permanently
housed with temporary or long-term supports as needed for housing stability.
At Risk Daily Average
This is an approximate DAILY AVERAGE count of precariously housed clients receiving supports to prevent
homelessness before it starts.
Unknown Daily Average
Beginning Q1 2023, KnoxHMIS is reclassifying a certain subset of homeless service recipients from
"Homeless"
and "At Risk" to "Unknown (meals/services only)."
This group typically represents about 10-15% of all clients served by KnoxHMIS partners. Most clients in
this
category received meals or basic needs services targeting homeless or housing precarious populations by
one or
more partner agency, but homelessness was not required for eligibility and their housing status was not
explicitly defined in an ongoing way. In the past, we made assumptions based on clients’ reported
housing
situation at the beginning of project enrollments, when that was known. Given the fluid nature of
housing
instability, however, we feel that “unknown” is a more transparent, if less gratifying, designation. No
doubt
some remained homeless or in unstable housing throughout the report. Others, still, were likely
experiencing
“episodic homelessness,” meaning that even within the reporting period their status may have fluctuated
between
unsheltered, institutional, and/or “doubled up” housing situations.
Chronically Homeless
Persons with disabling conditions who experienced homelessness for a total of at least 12 months within
the
prior three years.
Household Size
This chart counts program enrollments - not clients -- by household size. One individual may have been
enrolled
in multiple programs within the reporting period, and may have been enrolled individually in one program
and
with a family in another. All such enrollments are counted here.
Stayers/Leavers
This chart reports the final exit destinations of individuals no long enrolled in any
KnoxHMIS-affiliated
program at the end of the reporting period (quarter or year).
Inflow/Outflow
This System Inflow-Outflow chart tracks those entering the KnoxHMIS system experiencing homelessness for
the
first time, as well as those leaving the KnoxHMIS system permanently housed.
NOTE: These totals include individuals in Night-by-Night (NbN) shelter. NbN shelters offer emergency
shelter to
individuals on a nightly basis, allowing clients to come and go as needed. Given the high volumes of
those
served, NbN shelters, in contrast to other Emergency Shelter programs, typically do not track exit
outcomes.
Thus, while including clients enrolled in NbN shelter more accurately represents the volume and flow of
clients
through the Knox homeless service system, this may underrepresent the true rate of exits to permanent
housing,
since anyone finding housing on their own is not included in the total. Under "Housing Status at System
Exit,"
those exiting from NbN shelter are included in the "Unknown" count.
Families
In 2022, KnoxHMIS adjusted its methodology for counting families to more closely align with the method
currently
used by HUD. In prior years, families were counted if any single member of of a household with children
sought
services within the reporting period. The HUD methodology, in contrast, only counts families if at least
one
adult *and* at least one child received services together. We believe this transition better reflects
family
counts, serves as a better guide for strategic planning, and serves for cleaner comparisons with
national
trends.
Last Known Permanent Address
Hit play/pause (top right of map) to control the slides, zoom in and out using the “+/-” in the top
left, and
click on the map for more information by zip code. Map shows last zip codes in which clients were housed
before
entering homelessness, delimited to those receiving homeless services for the first time.
Notice for Q1 and Q2 2026
KnoxHMIS is currently awaiting a data import from one of our major providers. Because this data will significantly affect several sections of the dashboard, our first- and second-quarter 2026 dashboards exclude charts and tables affected by the missing data.
We expect to receive the import within the next few weeks and plan to include the full set of charts and tables in our third-quarter report.
