Hannah is a self-described “white, able bodied femme with an undergraduate degree.” Who, while “insulated by many privileges,” still struggles to afford housing.The Middle Tennessee native’s story begins with being reared by her divorced mom, along with two siblings. She recalled the family renting a home on Fatherland Street in the early 1990s in a historically Black and underserved neighborhood. Struggling alongside their neighbors, they experienced multiple home and vehicle break-ins. The family bounced around apartment complexes until her mother remarried. At that point, they purchased a home in Pegram, a border town in Cheatham County, directly west of Davidson County. The home was old and in constant disrepair, and continues to be burdensome for her mom and step-dad to maintain.
Eventually, Hannah headed to east Tennessee for college. After graduating, she returned home and lived with her mom for a year, before setting out on her own – well kinda. Since moving out of her mom’s house, she has mostly lived with three to five roommates to simply afford housing, which often proved to be a challenge. She recalled, “I remember speaking with staff at an apartment complex that directly told us, ‘no one in Nashville will rent to you all,’ so we usually ended up in houses with landlords who ran small realty businesses or operated independently.” Ultimately, she shared, “I have only been able to afford to live in Nashville by splitting housing costs with family, friends, and partners.”
While the idea of homeownership is something she desires, it unfortunately seems out of reach, “I think about trying to buy a house, but I work hourly jobs.” Planning for a home would mean she’d have to drastically alter her other high-priority expenses, such as selling her car or unenrolling from health insurance to cut expenses. She presently lives with a roommate in the Haynes-Trinity area, where it’s evident that many of her neighbors experience housing insecurity. “Everywhere I’ve lived or worked in Nashville, I have been impacted by the effects of housing insecurity on our communities and neighbors,” adding, “I would estimate 90% or more of friends I’ve made in Nashville rent with at least one other person in order to afford housing, or have multiple jobs to afford living alone.”
Lastly, Hannah shared, “Thanks for inviting us to share our stories, I honestly hadn’t reflected on my own story from start to present.” You’re welcome. That’s exactly why we created this limited series, “Home Is Where You Can Afford It: Nashville’s Affordable Housing Crisis.” We want every reader to understand the history of housing discrimination, learn common terms, and know who’s to blame and what is and isn’t being done. Beyond that, we want you to see yourselves, family, friends, coworkers, community members, and across town neighbors in the retelling of these real, heartfelt stories. You may not face housing insecurity or be cost burdened, but there are many people not far from you who are.
We appreciate your attention, replies, and engagement. If you’d like to share your experience with affordable housing for publication, please email us.
