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Metro Council to consider benefits agreement to help displaced RiverChase Apartment families

Families must move by end of May
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Posted at 6:18 AM, May 05, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-06 15:43:50-04

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new East Nashville development is forcing people at a low-income apartment complex on Dickerson Pike to move, which has prompted Metro Council to discuss an agreement to support those being displaced.

Stand Up Nashville is hosting a rally Thursday night at Public Square Park at 5 p.m. ahead of the council meeting in support of the agreement.

Families at RiverChase Apartments have until the end of this month to move, but where they will go is the big question. Many feel like there are little to no other affordable options.

Council members, advocacy groups and the families involved are hoping to secure a community benefits agreement with the developers. It would include requirements for affordable housing, well-paying jobs and the ability for some current residents to return to the property once it's built, but that's not expected until 2025.

Local advocates believe the agreement could go a long way to help reduce the loss of these families who have been here for generations.

Organizations like PATHE and The Salvation Armyhave already helped more than 100 renters find a new place to live.

Developers said they understand the frustration and are working to make sure roughly 20% of their 1,100 new units are considered "affordable housing."