Officials in Cookeville say the city is doing all it can to encourage development that would aim to reduce the need for affordable housing.
A recent report from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency found Cookeville and the Upper Cumberland region could need roughly 3,000 new affordable housing units over the next decade. Cookeville Community Development Director Jon Ward said the city has examined how other communities are tackling similar challenges.
“Some cities actually require percentages of developments to be, you know, offered at lower prices, right, lower rent rates, things like that,” Ward said. “There are lots of different carrots that you know other cities do.”
Ward said some cities allow higher-density development as a way to lower construction costs, which can ultimately help reduce rent prices. While Cookeville has largely avoided direct involvement in the housing market, Ward said the city continues to focus on supporting a variety of housing options.
“Here at the city, we’ve tried to support options in housing,” Ward said. “You know, a lot of that has resulted in, you know, higher density housing, smaller lot sizes. You know, and those are things that we can directly do that can impact development costs, that ultimately leads to how much a house costs to purchase for, you know, for working families.”
Ward said the city has also supported apartment and townhome developments. Ward said the city also partners with Highlands Residential Services to help expand affordable housing opportunities.
“We try to work closely with our local housing authority,” Ward said. “You know Highlands Residential Services. The city has tried to support, even financially, we have supported housing development that HRS has planned for the city here.”
Ward emphasized that affordability challenges are not unique to Cookeville and require a broader, regional approach.
“These, these kinds of housing issues are regional,” Ward said. “You know, I think it’s something that needs to be looked at in the bigger picture. Cookeville’s growing steadily, right? We’re not experiencing explosive growth like you see in the Nashville market, the Knoxville market, or the Clarksville market. But we’re a moderate growth region, as what that study described our region as being. And, you know, it’s not just a problem of housing supply, it’s housing affordability, right? I mean, we technically have enough housing units, but, you know, the affordability of those units is what’s concerned for you know, moderate and lower income folks in the area.”
Ward said planning ahead will be critical to maintaining affordability as the city continues to grow.
“I don’t think we’re in a crisis right now, but I think that we need to plan ahead and try to continue to address these issues so we can stay affordable and keep growing in the right way,” Ward said.