FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — What is now 14 acres of untamed land could be home to at least 42 families in the future.
"The median home price, I'm always tracking these figures, is about 632-thousand. I've heard some were above 700,000. I think it's somewhere in between there in the city of Franklin. It's quite, quite staggering," said President & CEO of the Community Housing Partnership of Williamson County, Wayne Weaver.
That’s why the CHP is working to create a new affordable housing subdivision on Hillhaven Lane beside Mack Hatcher Memorial Parkway.
"Because we're Williamson County, and we're known as being such an affluent county, people think 'well why do you need affordable housing?' Well it's kind of that's the answer to your question- you need affordable housing because it is such an affluent community," said Weaver.
Qualifying families must earn no more than 80% of the average area income or roughly between $35,000-$80,000.
Weaver said, "there's not a building, a restaurant, a hotel, a government office building, a company that you can walk into in the city of Franklin that you won't find thousands of those workers."
The subdivision will feature ten single-family homes and eight of what is called the "Big House" concept. "It looks like a beautiful house on the outside but inside that big house there are four condominium units inside those."
But the endeavor is a public/private partnership and will need support to become a reality. "We need more partners, we need more corporations to come alongside us and sponsor this project," said Weaver.
The proposal must pass two more readings before it is sent to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The hope is to break ground on the project late this year.
