As Nashville grows, thousands of people are looking to public housing for help finding a place to live.
There was so much interest in the next waitlist that the Metro Development and Housing Agency pushed the application date back by a week.
For single mom Misty Pucciarelli, being able to pay for her kids' every day needs means despite oftentimes working well over 40 hours a week, she and her two kids live with her mom.
"About 50 percent of my check every month goes to day care," she said.
Misty makes $11/ hour but with a teenager and a baby at home, she says it's just not enough to support the whole family.
"I don't know how any single person can make it anymore, you need two incomes if you have kids," she said.
She hopes that getting on the public housing waiting list for the first time will change that.
"You feel better about yourself when you have somewhere to call your own, to keep up and to present to your friends," said Misty, who is a former homeowner. She says her old mortgage would now be double what it once was, with the rising cost of living around the Metro area.
Nashville is on track for a record-breaking $3.7 billion dollars in development this year, according to Metro Codes. But the widespread construction is not helping costs. In fact, just the opposite.
"We're seeing a large demand for affordable housing not only for public housing but affordable housing in general," said MDHA Spokesperson Jamie Berry.
And for the first time MDHA is letting people choose which property they want in anonline, first-come-first serve waitlist application.
"The process itself is very easy it takes about two minutes so if you are able to get online it would be in your best interest to do so," Berry said. The portal opens at noon Wednesday.
Misty likes the idea of Neighborhood Housing. She see's herself in something like a duplex.
And she has high hopes for the future.
"I want somewhere where we can have dinners together and somewhere to call home, that's all I want," she said.
