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With an economy plagued by high inflation, housing costs have been driven upward, leaving more people on the streets and homeless.

The conditions have left the Almost Home Transitional Housing Program, a Franklin County organization that provides aid to the homeless, with more extreme challenges amid difficult financial times.

Dwain Money, Almost Home president, said the organization is reaching out to garner more volunteers and financial aid to combat the growing homeless problem.

He said Franklin County has an estimated 60 people living on the streets. However, Almost Home has been limited in what it can do for them, he added.

“With limited finances and a limited number of directors and volunteers, we focus on the transitional-housing program and homeless prevention through utility assistance,” he said. “At the most at this time, we can provide tents and sleeping bags to the homeless.”

Money said Franklin County residents routinely see homeless people walking down the boulevard in Winchester and Decherd. Some appear to be cleaner-cut than others and have been carrying new backpacks provided by Almost Home that include sanitation and toiletry items.

Homeless people are occasionally seen pushing shopping carts full of their personal possessions while others tend to pull their luggage behind them or push bicycles used to carry items.

 “We’ve all seen many people panhandling in front of Walmart, some we stop and give them money, others we avoid, and we choose alternate routes in and out of the Walmart parking area, carefully avoiding eye contact as we pass them by,” Money said. “Some of the people are legitimately homeless as the result of inflation which has priced some out of their homes. Others are homeless or in need of additional funds due to choices they have made in their lives.”

Money said Almost Home has been funded in the past through grants from United Way of Franklin County and the Sanders Foundation, and it gets limited money from the government, less than $5,000 this year.

“We have been fortunate to have three personal donors over the years and as many as four churches donating at one time,” he said. “This year, we have only received donations from two churches. However, some churches provide direct support to the homeless such as motel stays and food.

“We are very grateful for the few donors we have.”

Money said concerned citizens have called him, requesting to meet in-person, questioning what Almost Home has been doing about the homeless situation in the area.

However, he added that the volunteer effort needs to be increased to deal with the increasing homeless situation.

Money explained that Almost Home was founded in 2009 with a goal to have an overnight shelter. However, he said the organization was unable to get approval and opted instead on a transitional house, a duplex that can only be used by individuals or families and not large groups of people.

Money said that earlier this year, Almost Home placed a 68-year-old woman and another woman 10 years older in the duplex, and they stayed three months while awaiting subsidized housing.

“It’s sad to see our senior citizens on a limited Social Security income go homeless,” he said, highlighting how paramount Almost Home’s role is in improving the situation.

Money explained what he deems Almost Home needs from the Franklin County government, communities, churches, businesses and residents.

“We need for everyone to recognize there is a problem and step up and do what you can either through volunteering, cash donations or donating tents and sleeping bags,” he said. “Churches can open their doors for shelter, showers and community meals.

“Almost Home was founded to help Franklin County with their homeless problem, but we are not the solution without your help.”

Money said he recently spoke with a homeless man and a woman who were at the Winchester Square with a wagon full of supplies.

He asked the couple if they were equipped for the pending cool weather approaching, and they replied they only had a light blanket to sleep with.

Money said he went back to his office and got them two sleeping bags. He added that the couple mentioned about 60 homeless people were living in the area, and a homeless camp does exist.

Money said that he had gone to the area and found evidence where someone had been sleeping on the ground, but no tent or sleeping bag was found.

Money said those conditions depict that homeless people in the area need help.

“Many of our new homeless in Franklin County are unequipped for the cold weather and definitely not equipped for extreme cold weather as we experienced last winter and a few winters before when Journey Church and Grace Center of Hope opened their doors so the homeless could shelter at night,” he said.

For further information, the Almost Home office is located in the Franklin County Courthouse basement. The phone number is 931-968-2503, the email address is almost.home.thp@gmail.com, and the organization’s website is almosthomethp.org.