CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Clarksville is experiencing a significant housing shortage as the city's population continues to grow.
"We're averaging four to 6,000 people a year moving to Clarksville," said Jeff Tyndall, Clarksville Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission Director.
The rapid growth is creating opportunities but also challenges. To address these challenges, city officials commissioned a comprehensive housing needs assessment to guide development decisions.
"And as Tennessee's fifth biggest city, we felt we needed a data-driven approach to make some better decisions going forward," Tyndall explained.
The assessment, conducted by Bowen National Research, revealed that Clarksville will need 15,193 additional housing units between 2024 and 2029 to meet demand. The study found a shortage of affordable housing options, with only 18 homes currently available under $200,000, while the majority of the 526 available properties are priced over $300,000.
This stark contrast comes despite nearly 18,000 homes being sold in Clarksville between 2020 and 2024, highlighting how quickly properties are being purchased in the growing market.
"It's really that 35 to 44 age group (that) is significantly growing, and so you're gonna see a growing demand for family-oriented housing," said Patrick Bowen, President of Bowen National Research.
The housing crunch affects both buyers and renters. Nearly 21,000 Clarksville households face housing affordability challenges, with many paying over 50% of their income toward housing costs. The city's government-subsidized rental housing, which serves households earning less than $40,000, is 100% occupied.
"I think you're gonna need to have more rental housing stock as well as more for-sale housing stock. Right now, you have extreme shortage of both those types," Bowen explained.
The study also found that 60% of tax credit-subsidized properties maintain waitlists, with one having an estimated five-year wait. These properties typically serve people earning between $40,000 and $64,000 annually. High occupancy rates across all housing types demonstrate the need for additional multifamily rental housing.
Carla Jones, a local resident and minister, expressed concern about the financial burden many residents face.
"One of the things that concerned me the most was that we had residents who were paying 50% of their income on their housing rent or mortgage, and I think that that is very critical," Jones said.
Jones hopes officials and community members will collaborate on solutions.
"All of us have a need to make sure that we're looking to our left and our right and seeing what those needs are and working together as a city, as a community, as a county to alleviate those pressures so that people have what they need, and they can live a life that is deserved," she said.
Bowen believes addressing these housing challenges will create even more economic opportunities.
"So I think for Clarkville to solve some of its housing issues would contribute to helping the economy be stronger and have better job growth and things like that," Bowen said.
With such a significant shortage of affordable housing, developers may have numerous opportunities to build in the city. The Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission plans to conduct housing needs assessments every two years to stay ahead of the city's evolving needs.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@Newschannel5.com
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