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Housing

Historically speaking, Nashville was a relatively affordable place to live. Before 2010 let’s say, it wasn’t unreasonable to expect that your average full-time job could afford you a place to rent or even buy within a 15 minute drive to the center of town. You might even have enough space for your band to rehearse.

But with the average home price now over $400K, once working class neighborhoods near the city center have become out of reach for all but upper income residents. Options for lower income Nashvillians have dwindled. And with the city projected to continue to grow at a rapid clip, the future of affordable housing seems tenuous without strong policies and interventions to address it.

The WPLN newsroom will continue to report on the state of housing in Middle Tennessee as the region continues to reckon with the consequences of its rapid growth.

Join the conversation! We’ve dedicated several episodes of This Is Nashville to the rising cost of housing. Listen on any podcasting app, or on our website:

In My Place, Episode 18: Losing home again

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Welcome back to In My Place  — a series about finding, and losing, home in a growing Nashville. This season, we’re getting to walk through the specific steps from homelessness to housing with people who have done it. In our last 8 episodes, we’ve talked about everything from connecting with services for the very first […]

Balancing affordable housing and density

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When Vanderbilt polled Nashvillians in March about top priorities for city investment, there was near unanimity around one issue. Nearly 90% wanted investment in more affordable housing. But when the questioning hit closer to home, the support waned. According to this same poll, 56% of residents support allowing multifamily housing “everywhere in my city to revitalize […]

In My Place, Episode 17: It’s hard being home

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In My Place is a series that educates listeners on what communities like Nashville can do to prevent and end homelessness — while caring for our neighbors who are still unhoused. In our last episode, we celebrated getting those keys! In this episode, we’re talking about the difficulties of having a home.

NashVillager Podcast: Zoning

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Where will we put all the housing Nashville needs? Plus, the local news for September 17, 2025.

From Somali refugee to housing navigator: Abdikadir Mohamed

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Abdikadir Mohamed spent fourteen years in a Kenyan refugee camp before being able to immigrate to Nashville where he and his family made a life for themselves.

Trump wants to ax an affordable housing grant that’s a lifeline for many rural communities

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President Donald Trump and House Republicans want to cut new funding for a housing grant that many rural areas rely on to help fund affordable housing. The grant has helped fund or repair more than 1.3 million affordable units, including 540,000 in rural areas and small towns.

One South Nashville neighborhood’s fight against development mirrors citywide debate

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Intense debates about housing density are playing out across Nashville, and new policies are on the horizon.

In My Place, Episode 16: We’re homeward bound!

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Welcome back to our second season of In My Place. This special series educates listeners on what communities like Nashville can do to prevent and end homelessness — while caring for our neighbors who are still unhoused. In our last episode, we heard about how last-minute hurdles can stand in the way of an apartment. Today, we’re […]

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