CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – (CLARKSVILLENOW) – On February 20, 2019, the Clarksville Association of Realtors (CAR) held a Workforce Housing Summit at The Belle Hollow of Miss Lucille’s to address the cost of home ownership in Clarksville-Montgomery County.
Speakers included Clarksville City Mayor Joe Pitts; Jeff Truitt, CEO of the Economic Development Council; Jeff Tyndall, Director of the Regional Planning Commission; Keith Lampkin of Clarksville Housing and Community Development; Eddie Latimer of Affordable Housing Resources; Lorrie Shearon of the Tennessee Housing Development Agency; Angela Belcher of The Housing Fund; Patricia Tyus of the Clarksville Housing Authority; Amy Orton of Planters Bank; Jeff Burkhart of City Council and Home Builder Association; and Bryce Powers, developer and member of the Regional Planning Commission.
CAR recognized that it was time to establish a platform to bring together realtors, builders and community leaders to address concerns impacting the housing market in the area. As Nashville continues to experience unprecedented growth, those trends are seen here in Clarksville, including increased costs and lower inventory.
Terms such as affordable housing or housing affordability are common place, but the objective of the summit was to address quality housing options for the average citizen. It is recommended that no more than 30% of one’s monthly income is spent on housing. Those that do have to spend more than that are considered “housing burdened.”
For example, a police officer in Clarksville, with an income of $42,000, married to a receptionist making $11 an hour should be able to afford a home priced around $170,000. In Clarksville, the inventory of homes at that price is scarce. Our goal is to prevent our workforce from being priced out of living in Clarksville.
Dedicated to protecting homeownership, CAR wants to make sure those who work hard and serve this community are able to purchase a quality home.
Mayor Pitts stressed the importance of housing as the foundation of all needs and challenged realtors and the private sector to join together with the city and county in making strides towards one common goal of making home ownership more feasible.
Issues of land price, building codes, zoning and economic and industrial development were discussed as main deterrents of lowering housing costs.
“Housing Affordability is an issue that is impacting our community and CAR wants to be part of the coalition that it will take to maintain ‘the American Dream’ of home ownership,” said Eric Boyd, 2019 CAR President.
All entities at the summit confirmed that there is a housing affordability issue in our area. CAR is making plans to continue this discussion with community leaders and to take appropriate action. CAR anticipates holding additional summits in the future as progress is made.