NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The cost of buying a home is a topic we know you care about. It's been on our radar for years.
In Nashville, buying an affordable home is something city leaders are trying to make more possible for buyers of all ages.
A recent plan to open up more neighborhoods to duplexes and other multi-family dwellings is facing resistance. Some bills intended to address missing "middle housing" are on hold, but in the coming months, there will be a Metro study on what infrastructure improvements would need to happen if Nashville were to authorize more duplexes, according to Council Member At Large Quin Evans Segall.
Some feel strongly that's not the answer.
"I think to people from the outside looking in, it might look like that NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) movement... there's aspects of that that are true, but I think it comes down to a quality of life, a way of life, livability, functionality of a neighborhood," said Jonathan Kasper.
Kasper is the president of the Battlemont Neighborhood Association. The neighborhood is nestled between 12South, Green Hills, Belmont and Berry Hill. It was established roughly 90 years ago, and to this day a good number of the homes are original.
On a walk through the neighborhood, Kasper talked about their efforts to keep the neighborhood homey. In 2007, to control density, the majority of neighbors opted to down-zone to residential single-family.
"We didn't do it to exclude anybody or to be elitist or anything, we just did it because we wanted that original housing stock to stay more or less intact, so that young families of relatively modest means could move in," Kasper said.
The need for more affordable housing is a problem Nashville can't ignore. Kasper just wants to find middle ground.
"We simply don't want to triple or quadruple the people, the cars and put the burden on the infrastructure in these neighborhoods. We want to keep it Nashville," he said.
During some of the community meetings about the zoning reform bills, people said investors would benefit more than families. We took an in-depth look at a Redfin study about the share of real estate that investors own in cities across the country. Hover over the dots to see the numbers.
To gather this data, Redfin looked at county sale records for homes purchased. It defined investor as any buyer whose name included at least one of the following keywords: LLC, Inc, Trust, Corp, Homes.
Rhori recommends:
“Here’s another example of a small non-profit doing so much good in our community! Forrest Sanders highlights the group Friends Life Community, which provides adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities a chance to express themselves through art. In this case, original stage performances! Registered drama therapist Sarah Edwards guides the performers, including Mary Margaret, as they express themselves through written words and dance movements. The original show is touring and have a date set this September at TPAC!”
-Rhori Johnston
