A Cumberland County native has been awarded a National Service Award for working on affordable housing across the region.
The Housing Assistance Council recognized Lindy Turner. Turner said she wants people across the Upper Cumberland, and those in the Appalachia area, to have access to housing that is conducive to building a stable family.
“My roots run deep in the plateau,” Turner said, “So we want to lift each other up and continue to lift our community up, but the challenges are pretty tough right now.”
Turner said this award provides pride in the work her organization and staff does for the people of Tennessee. Turner said the National Housing Assistance Council is a national non-profit that connects rural communities around housing need. They provide training resources and education and advocacy to officials on a national level to help spread awareness.
“School systems or manufacturing,” Turner said. “No matter who you talk to, housing is the top two or three issues facing those industries today because we are all living in a housing crisis.”
Turner said rent and the price of homes have skyrocketed. Turner said interest rates are more average, though since they are much larger than they were the last 10 years, they seem high. Turner said accessing affordable housing and moving up the ladder is more difficult now than ever.
Turner said her organization takes part in the Housing Can’t Wait campaign, a partnership with other networks to try and create new housing. Turner said the program brings attention to housing available as well.
Turner said her team focuses on overcoming issues that keep lower earning individuals from being able to afford purchasing and owning a home.
Turner said she is a Crab Orchard native. She graduated from Cumberland County High School and Tennessee Tech.