Community Matters: Murfreesboro’s New Journey Home reopens with expanded services for homeless population

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The City of Murfreesboro is seeing new resources arrive to serve the unhoused population as the nonprofit organization The Journey Home prepares for its grand reopening.

The Journey Home’s executive director, Scott Foster, noted that as Murfreesboro’s overall population grows, the city’s unhoused population has increased as well. According to the United Way, 367 people in Rutherford County were experiencing homelessness during the 2024 point-in-time count.
“We do find that our needs are becoming more acute,” Foster said. “We have more people on the streets who are older, more seniors, and more individuals living with persistent mental illness or disabilities.”

After a three-year campaign, The Journey Home successfully raised $6.2 million to construct a new 20,000-square-foot community resource center. The facility features exam rooms and counseling spaces where individuals can meet with representatives from another Murfreesboro-based nonprofit, Volunteer Behavioral Health.

Volunteer Behavioral Health also works directly with local law enforcement, embedding staff members with officers during patrols.

“They are what we call a first response, or initial response, because they’re actually in the unit with the officer,” explained Nathan Miller, Senior Vice President of Operations at Volunteer Behavioral Health.
As both nonprofits expand their outreach to meet the needs of Murfreesboro’s residents, city leaders continue developing local policies aimed at reducing homelessness and supporting community safety.
“People want safety in their community, and that will continue to be the number one priority for Murfreesboro,” said Mayor Shane McFarland. “That includes discussions on homelessness, as well as traffic and transportation—these issues are all connected, and we are working to address them together.”
The Journey Home will celebrate the grand reopening and ribbon cutting of its new facility on Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1207 Old Salem Highway.
Click here to learn more about The Journey Home