The Alliance for an Affordable Nashville supports Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s transit plan that will go before a public vote Nov 5. The Alliance is a coalition of longstanding affordable housing and community development nonprofits that formed in 2023 to forge solutions to Nashville’s pressing housing needs by working collaboratively with city leaders, financial institutions and developers.

A spokesperson for the Alliance said transit and affordable housing must be intentionally linked to maximize community benefits. One of the Alliances top priorities is to leverage publicly owned land, especially along transit routes, to relieve transportation and housing cost burdens for the city’s workers and most vulnerable populations. Mayor O’Connell’s “Choose How You Move” transit plan allows for 26 acres of land adjacent to transit center locations to be used for affordable housing, parks, and public areas.

“You really can’t address the affordable housing crisis in our city without addressing the need for a unified transit plan to address the congestion and transportation cost burden, added to the existing housing cost burden for many people who live and work in Nashville,” said Eddie Latimer, chair of the Alliance. “We support the mayor’s transit proposal, along with the Metro Council. Our current lack of a transit plan that addresses the needs of working Nashvillians makes it harder for families to find financial stability and improved quality of life. The time is now. The cost and the need will only increase the longer we wait.”

Forbes named Nashville’s commute as the worst in the country. Transportation has been rated as the second largest household expense behind housing. The cost burden of transportation falls hardest on the lowest income families. Statistics show that lower income households spend 30% of their after-tax income on transportation – which is why lower income households will benefit the most from more efficient and reliable transportation access.

The Alliance for an Affordable Nashville advocates for preserving and revitalizing vulnerable neighborhoods near transit. Repurposing publicly owned land along these corridors to prioritize affordable housing helps protect residents from displacement and reduces the combined housing and transportation cost burdens faced by vulnerable families.

Alliance members have created or preserved more than 14,000 units, impacting 53,000 lives. For more information about the Alliance for an Affordable Nashville go to our website https://www.nashvillehousingalliance.com or email info@nashvillehousingalliance.com.