NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Nashville residents are one step closer to more affordable housing in Music City.
Tuesday night, the Metro Council approved a bill setting in motion a plan that could require affordable housing in new home developments.
The Metro Planning Department said it’s hiring a consultant to conduct a study that will establish affordable housing guidelines for the city. Metro Council has given the department a six month deadline.
The bill also included a goal to have 14 percent of all homes in new developments be classified as affordable or workforce housing.
Nashville Realtor and apartment groups had argued against the bill, but it passed with an overwhelming 31-to-4 vote.
The planning department said a six month deadline for those recommendations will be tough to meet, but they'll be able to do it.
“We're going to meet it one way or another,” said Doug Sloan with the Metro Planning Department. “It is an ambitious goal, I'm not sure at this stage whether 180 days is enough or not but we're going to strive toward that.”
The planning department said they already got a head start with several affordable housing ideas as a result of all the Nashville Next discussions on the city's future that tool place the past several months.
