A window into changing fortunes for Nashville public housing | Opinion

• Jim Harbison is executive director the Metro Development and Housing Agency.

Just a few weeks ago, as I listened to Mayor David Briley announce his “Under One Roof 2029” affordable housing initiative, I was struck by the visual symbolism of where we stood.

Atop the hill at the corner of Sylvan and South Ninth streets in East Nashville, you could see the beautiful skyline of a thriving city. Down the hill you could see the origins of Cayce Place  – an old, iconic subsidized housing development in Nashville. But at the top of the hill – standing as a shining example of what is possible in a thriving city, stands Kirkpatrick Park – beautiful new homes where residents of Cayce Place and the surrounding area will soon move.

Not only do these homes show our residents the respect they deserve, but they also make a value statement about the city we want for our future.

People's lives improve in mixed-income communities

At the heart of the Envision process now underway at Cayce Place is a deep commitment not only to ensure those who need a home have one, but also to make a bold statement about the importance of building mixed-income communities.

Accepting a subsidy for your housing should not feel like a sentence to a life in poverty. It should, instead, be an opportunity to lift yourself out of poverty. Research shows that people’s lives improve dramatically in a mixed-income environment. That is what Envision is all about. And that is why Briley’s commitment was so important.

Rather than people wondering whether the growth and success of the city is a good thing, the mayor showed what is possible when a city is clear about its priorities and leverages that growth to invest in the things that will strengthen the fabric of the community for all.

Mayor Briley makes affordable housing key concern

Briley’s commitment to making affordable housing a top priority – not just those efforts we proudly lead at the Metro Development and Housing Agency, but also what the non-profit and private sectors can make possible – is an emphatic statement that for the next 10 years, we’re going to put more local “skin in the game” for solid progress.

The mayor fully embraced the need to anchor our affordable housing efforts in the concept of building mixed-income communities where Nashvillians of all backgrounds can live side by side, celebrating the rich diversity of people that makes our city so special.

Our Envision efforts are well underway at Cayce Place and also getting off the ground at Napier Place, Sudekum Apartments and Edgehill Apartments. The city’s investment in this work will enable us to add more subsidized housing than was originally projected and will also help us accelerate the timeline.

Our goal is to build similar Envision communities across the city, expanded to Andrew Jackson Courts, Cheatham Place and Cumberland View in the coming months and years.

I applaud the mayor for helping the city take this bold step forward. And I invite anyone to join me in looking through the window of our city’s future at the top of the hill at Sylvan and South Ninth.  The view from there is heartwarming, inspiring us all to see what is possible when Nashvillians work together with the right priorities in mind.

This is how a growing economy can bring opportunity to all of Nashville.

Jim Harbison is executive director the Metro Development and Housing Agency.