Droves of people who live in Nashville’s affordable housing projects aren’t volunteering for COVID-19 tests, despite city officials initially believing they would.
Nashville Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency spokeswoman Jamie Berry told The Tennessee Star in an email Friday that only 219 residents tested Thursday at Metro’s Edgehill Apartments and James A. Cayce affordable housing units.
Berry also said that city officials were testing more residents on Friday. She did not say how many residents had volunteered to take COVID-19 tests that day.
“Free testing has been underway for weeks now in the city. Our goal was to reach those who lack transportation and can’t get to a site,” Berry said.
“So, the 219 who were tested yesterday may not have been tested if this weren’t offered in their community. That is a win.”
Berry said city officials had taken great lengths to advertise testing throughout these affordable housing units. She said they posted fliers door-to-door and asked Resident Association presidents to spread the word.
As The Star reported earlier this week, some residents of these housing units apparently believed that city officials would force them to test for COVID-19. Last week a Nashville resident named Hatuey Hiawhatha shared a photo of what looked like Nashville Police officers and National Guard troops outside a housing project.
A Facebook user named Shovann Staton-Backus shared the same photo.
On her Facebook page, Staton-Backus, whose city is unlisted, refers to herself as a “Celebrity Chef/Philanthropist/Human Rights Activist/LGBTQ Advocate/Brown Bruja Tarot Card Playa.”
Staton-Backus said the following:
“Metro Nashville Police and the National Guard are in Cayce Place doing mandatory COVID-19 testing. Other public housing residents will be tested as well.”
Exactly 329 other Facebook users shared Staton-Backus’ post.
Berry, though, said last week that those Facebook posts were incorrect and that testing was voluntary.
As reported, authorities are out in force and using the long arm of the law to enforce Cooper’s COVID-19 guidelines. Nashville business owners must comply with all of Mayor John Cooper’s safety rules for COVID-19, or else police might pay them a visit.
Metro Public Health Director Michael Caldwell said at a press conference that for the first offense county officials will tell managers how to comply — and come back later to make sure they are doing just that. For a second infraction, county officials will deliver a warning.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Is affordable housing the new code phrase for public housing? Housing that consumes my hard earned tax dollars?