Outgoing Cookeville Mayor Laurin Wheaton said leaders across the county want to explore “creative” ways to improve the housing affordability issues.
A recent report from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency ranked Cookeville as one of the communities with the highest need for more affordable housing in the state, behind only Nashville and Knoxville. Wheaton said a regional approach might be worth considering.
“Thinking outside the box, not just building homes, but where can we grow, either in the city of Cookeville, or like you said, looking at surrounding areas and counties and saying ‘Hey, is this an area that would be good?,'” Wheaton said. “Maybe we can, you know, coordinate. We’ll bring the jobs in, y’all supply the housing.’ That kind of stuff.”
Wheaton said the importance of high-density homes to provide entry-level housing options for working professionals in the county, despite occasional concerns from current citizens.
“While we appreciate the people who are doing developments in you know RS-20 and things like that, you got to turn right back around and say ‘No we need these higher-density residential areas to allow for, not only just the availability for the actual number of houses and townhouses and things that we need, but to be able to get it down to a price level that people can afford,” Wheaton said.
Housing is just one piece of the puzzle, Wheaton said, and the term “affordable” can be subjective.
“I know that affordable housing is something that everyone is struggling with and Cookeville definitely is. It’s a growth that’s happening. And you know, it’s not just the housing. We need to make sure we’re bringing in jobs that pay a higher wage to increase the quality of life,” Wheaton said.
From people just starting their first job, to those choosing Cookeville as a retirement destination, Wheaton underscored the widespread need for affordable housing and discussed the city’s role in creating a change. She also highlighted partnerships as a key element in implementing a solution.
