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Landlord Shortage Strands Section 8 Recipients

Posted at 10:02 PM, Apr 29, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-29 23:35:01-04

It City, Boom Town - whatever you call it - Nashville is growing.

But what's not growing with it is the number of affordable housing options.

"It's very expensive and I think it's a shame that whoever the people are who are developing these houses, these high rises, it's not fair to the people who are living here (who can't afford to anymore)," said a 62-year-old veteran who asked that we not use her name.

She has a Section 8 voucher. But she's one of hundreds with vouchers looking for a new place to live, thanks to a shortage of landlords willing to accept them.

"It's throughout Nashville," said MDHA Director of Rental Assistance Norman Deep

Friday the Metro Development and Housing Authority held a mee tup to try to recruit more, willing Section 8 landlords. 

MDHA reports around 1,000 landlords currently accepting Section 8 vouchers. But staff say they need around 300 more to house everyone with a voucher and meet demand.

"It's going to be hard when you have meetings with 40 people at a time but we're going to continue to plug and try," Deep said.

MDHA is holding out hope for more landlords like Angie Barker, who attending the meeting after recently moving to Nashville.

"Gentrification is definitely happening in this area and affordable housing is getting less and less available to people and it's important to provide that," she said.

With Section 8 tenants pay up to 40 percent of their income for rent and other costs of living and MDHA makes up the rest.

The veteran and voucher recipient wants to get out of her apartment and into a house, if she can find one.

"I've prayed and I've asked God to grant me that one wish," she said.

She hopes she can grow with Nashville and not be left behind.