Our Executive Director and Publisher, Eddie Young is from Nashville, but has lived and worked in Scotland, Kentucky, and Montana before arriving in Knoxville. He has been involved with the lives of those living in radical poverty in each of these places, and during his 15 years here in Knoxville, has worked in organizing and advocating for the human and civil rights of the homeless community. The Street X Change is the second Street Paper that Young has published. His book, Myths, Lies, and Mercy contains his editorial perspectives on this,  one of our most tragic social failures.

There are over 100 Street Papers in print all over the globe and The Street X Change is proud to be in solidarity with these publications. 

We provide a platform for those experiencing homelessness to speak, and a tool to expose the myths, lies, and stereotypes that perpetuate and criminalize homelessness.

We are a non-profit organization, so the suggested $1 donation our solicitors ask from you, supports our mission and our solicitors.  ¢25 of your donation goes to our printing costs, the remainder, no matter how much you choose to give, goes directly to the solicitor. 

Set on the Tennessee river in the Appalachian region of East Tennessee, Knoxville is the 3rd largest city in the State and home to the University of Tennessee.

The 2022 Point In Time Count totaled 1,178 people experiencing homelessness. This is a 50% increase from 2021. 40% report the reason as not being able to secure affordable housing. As of February of 2023, the average apartment size was 984 sq ft. The average rent is $1606 per month. In order for one's rent to land at %30 or less of their gross income, they would need to earn an annual salary of  $57,816. As of March 2023, the average annual salary in Knoxville was $45,283.

In addition, if we have approximately 1,178 homeless neighbors on a given night, and our primary emergency shelter can sleep about 400, there could be as many as 600 neighbors with no where to go. And with our State enacting House Bill 978, making camping on public land a felony, our homeless neighbors need emergency shelter, but far more urgent is emergency systemic change.

We exist to help inform and fuel that change.