Nashville mayor creates affordable housing task force
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced the formation of an affordable housing task force.
Cooper said 21 housing experts will take part in discussions aiming to "create better and more affordable housing for Nashville."
“Nashville’s housing needs are urgent,” Mayor John Cooper said. “By working together and listening to one another, we can find solutions that work best for Nashville’s neighborhoods.”
The group initially meets virtually at 5 p.m. on Jan. 21 and will give recommendations to "inform the 2022 fiscal year budget plan that Mayor John Cooper will make later this year to Metro Council." Part of the discussion will include listening to their counterparts in other cities and working with residents who will share what it's like finding affordable housing in Nashville.
Cooper's team will be joined by the Metro Planning Department, Metro Development and Housing Authority (MDHA) and other city agencies.
Here's a look at what the city says this new task force will focus on:
Policy
- How can Nashville preserve and create affordable housing that benefits all residents at different income levels?
- How can the city tie affordable housing to other community investments, such as transportation, libraries and schools?
- How can nonprofit organizations better align their efforts and develop stronger relationships with for-profit builders?
Access
- How can Metro make it easier for Nashvillians who need affordable housing to get it?
Financing
- What tools are missing from Nashville’s affordable housing “tool box?”
- What requests should Nashville make to state and federal partners? What has worked in other cities?
Land Use
- What policies can help residents remain in their neighborhoods, even as those neighborhoods change?
Recordings of the task force's discussion will be posted online.
