Knoxville-Knox County Office of Housing Stability

OHS aligns diverse partners and resources to house people quickly and effectively, and use evidence-based approaches and the insight of lived experience to ensure an integrated system that functions with respect, compassion, and accountability.

In 2022, homelessness grew by 50% in Knoxville and Knox County. Community leaders recognized a growing crisis, and City of Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon and Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs committed to a collaborative approach to address homelessness. As a result, the Knoxville-Knox County Office of Housing Stability (OHS) was established in 2023 as the coordinating body for homeless services and homelessness prevention in the City of Knoxville and Knox County. OHS is an instrumentality of local government, not a non-profit, and works with local service providers and many other partners to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring.