Meetings are scheduled throughout Tennessee to present housing market data and the State of Tennessee’s plan for housing and community development for the next five years. Additionally, public comments on the plan will be accepted through Monday, May 4.
The Chattanooga area’s meeting will be held Tuesday, April 14 from 10 a.m. to noon at the offices of the Southeast Tennessee Development District, located at 1000 Riverfront Parkway. For additional information, contact Chuck Hammonds at (423) 266-5781.
Public comments on the Consolidated Plan will be collected at the meeting. Residents can also submit written comments through the Public Notices and Comments Forums page on the Tennessee Housing Development Agency website (www.THDA.org). More information is available from Morgan Mansa of the THDA at mmansa@thda.org.
“This is a great opportunity for residents to voice their ideas and concerns about the lack of affordable housing,” said Beth Jones, executive director of the Southeast Tennessee Development District. “The growth in our area has placed a spotlight on the need for safe, affordable housing for homeownership and rental.”
The 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan is a state-wide, multi-department effort led by the THDA to support the administration of four U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs. The goal is to present the State’s housing needs and interests in relationship to programs available to support development. Input is sought from citizens, organizations, state, local, and federal government officials, developers, special needs advocates, chambers of commerce, public housing authorities, and other housing professionals such as Realtors.
The full name of the plan is the 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development. Some findings from the early work in the plan are:
There is a high need for affordable rental housing and homeownership options statewide;
It’s particularly difficult to provide resources to persons experiencing homelessness in rural communities;
Over 1,000 housing units are still in need of repair, and 80 public and infrastructure projects need funding after severe weather 2011 and 2012; and
A coordinated effort between state agencies that meets the needs of extremely low-, very low-, and low-income households is crucial.
A draft of the 2015-2019 plan is posted on the Consolidated Planning page of the www.THDA.org.
Source: Tennessee Housing Development Agency