26-02-2025
New Knoxville affordable housing serves larger families, revitalizes vacant lots
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — For people across East Tennessee, finding affordable housing is a struggle, but especially for bigger families.
For Ngina Blair and her family, finding a home to fit five people seemed impossible. That is until she contacted Knoxville's Community Development Corporation (KCDC) about a house they were building in her neighborhood.
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'I had been watching this house for the longest, from the time they were building. So when it got halfway up I called down to KCDC and I asked, 'how can I get that house down there?'' Blair said. 'And that's when they told me about the project-based vouchers.'
KCDC has built five single-family homes on Ben Hur Avenue in East Knoxville, and five more are in the works. Families approved for property-based vouchers with household incomes up to 30% of area median income are eligible to lease these homes. In Knox County, that's about $27,300 for a family of four.
'A lot of the affordable housing that is getting built today is great, but a lot of times it's in the smaller bedroom sizes so these houses being much bigger are filling a gap that is not being met,' said KCDC Chief of Development James Hatfield.
This project also aims to revive vacant properties in an established neighborhood.
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'We were able to identify vacant lots that KCDC has owned, and being able to invest in this part of town I think is meaningful and provides access to a lot of support amenities and near downtown for these families that are moving in,' Hatfield said.
Blair hopes other families will experience what she has.
'It's exciting because everyone's going to have their own space,' Blair said. 'There's not too many five bedrooms, and for them to be building five bedrooms in the community to accommodate bigger families is a joy.'
Once the five homes that are under construction are completed, there will be a total of four homes with 4 bedrooms and 2 baths, four homes offering 5 bedrooms and 2 baths, and one fully ADA-accessible home with 2 bedrooms and 1 bath.
The five new homes will be available to rent.
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