KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Nearly $237 million has been invested into affordable housing in Knoxville during Mayor Madeline Rogero's time in office.
A new release from the city said that investment has created more than 4,500 housing units. More than 700 of those units are still under construction.
According to the Knoxville Office on Homelessness, the lack of affordable housing is currently the number one cause of homelessness. Local officials and community members said they're working to address the issue.
Knoxville is a growing city — and Volunteer Ministry Center CEO Bruce Spangler said that growth comes with a lot of people looking for an affordable place to live.
Spangler said Volunteer Ministry Center is seeing more and more people become homeless.
"We have seen an uptick in terms of just the total number of folks experiencing homelessness or near homelessness," Spangler said.
Last week, The Flats at Pond Gap broke ground. The 102-unit complex is one of six projects underway this year. These efforts come at a time when officials said more than half the city's households fall under the low income designation.
"Affordability and accessibility and appropriateness of housing is a challenge for us as a community," Spangler said.
The efforts won't stop at the end of the Mayor's term. Mayoral candidates Eddie Mannis and Indya Kincannon have both made affordable housing part of their platforms.
Spangler said he hopes to see progress continue in affordable housing development — and he believes that affordable housing can change entire communities.
"Everyone needs shelter, everyone needs a permanent place. Once that can happen for an individual, not only does that person change, but that community changes and our city changes," Spangler said.
Some community members have voiced concerns over issues such as increased traffic coming with some of these projects. When Flats at Pond Gap was initially announced, neighbors said they were worried the 102-unit building would create too much traffic in the Hollywood Road area.
Spangler said those are important issues to address, but it's also just part of what comes with a growing city.