Affordable Housing
What is the problem and why should we care?
Housing costs have skyrocketed in the last 10 years. Nashville’s growth has been fueled by expansion of high-wage white collar industries, driving up the cost of purchasing a home and of renting an apartment. After the housing crash of 2008, corporations across the country bought apartment complexes and single-family homes to rent at a high rate of return. From 2010- 2019, both home values and rents have grown by more than 150%.
Changes in industries meant that wages increased only slowly, while housing costs shot up. One recent study said that to rent the median-priced apartment in Nashville, someone would need to make $22 per hour. Buying the median-priced home would require $33 per hour.
Finding affordable housing is now difficult for teachers, police officers, firefighters, service industry workers, and those on a fixed income. Very low income people, including those unhoused, are in the greatest need. Rising costs are pushing many people out of the county.
The Mayor’s Affordable Housing Task Force sees a great need for affordable housing right now – and that increases drastically by 2030.
What Should Be Done?
About the Education Task Force
The NOAH Education Task Force (ETF) includes teachers, parents, professionals in the education sector, Metro Nashville Public Schools graduates and other NOAH member representatives concerned about eliminating racism in the school system. The ETF has three committees which are focused on three specific issue areas:
Social Emotional
Learning (SEL)
Breaking the school- to-prison pipeline through robust SEL supports (including Restorative Practices) in all schools. Learn more about our Social Emotional Learning Committee, which meets every fourth Thursday of the month at 6 p.m.
About
Academics
Increasing racial equity in Advanced Academic programming and pushing for a historically accurate curriculum. Learn more about our Academics Committee, which meets every first Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m.
State
Funding
The state of Tennessee provides woefully inadequate funding to the state’s largest school districts, leaving it up to Metro Nashville to foot the bill for our priorities. Learn more about our State Funding Committee, which meets every Monday at 6:30 p.m.