NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A church in Donelson has a clear vision of how to use their land to serve their community.

The Rev. Dr. James D. Clay, lead pastor at New Visions Baptist Church, wants to build housing for homeless veterans, a crucial need in the Nashville area. Clay has a passion for the homeless—especially veterans. It's an area he used to serve in with the city before becoming a pastor, and he's noticed how much the need for housing has increased in Nashville.

Clay told News 2 his heart for the project started a decade ago. After having conversations with another pastor who built similar housing by his church, Clay knew it could be done.

New Visions sits on about 4 acres of land in the Donelson area of Nashville, which means there is plenty of unused space behind the sanctuary.

Clay said he hopes this housing isn't just a place for homeless veterans to lay their heads at night, but also a place where they can learn new habits and create a new life for themselves.

"We want to be able to offer the full gamut of wrap-around services so that their entry into housing will not lead into another situation where they're homeless based upon correcting some of those challenges and issues they bring to the table on day one," Clay told News 2.

According to Metro Councilmember Jeff Gregg, who represents the area locally, there will be a zoning meeting in December to make sure that land can be used for additional housing.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/middle-tn-neighborhood-news/donelson-church-pastor-wants-to-build-housing-for-homeless-veterans/