As Nashville’s home prices continue to rise — nearly doubly in the past six years — affordable housing is already shaping up as a key issue in this year’s mayoral election.

Nashville’s growth has brought jobs and opportunities in recent years. But a negative consequence — a product of scarcer home inventories, rising interest rates and population growth — is that some, especially lower-income residents, are left out of the city’s prosperity.

The city needs almost 31,000 affordable or low-income units to counter the affordable housing it's losing by 2025 to avoid mass displacement and rising homelessness, according to a 2017 report from former Mayor Megan Barry's office.

The Metro Council is considering a push to give equal an amount of money to the Barnes Fund for Affordable Housing as the incentives the city grants to companies to lure them to Nashville.

And last week, Mayor David Briley announced he has convened a committee to evaluate the future of Nashville’s Morris Memorial Building, pushing forward his plan to purchase and renovate the dilapidated downtown building for affordable housing.

But already mayoral challenger Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, has slammed Briley over the issue, saying the mayor is willing to “play fast and loose with Nashville’s affordable housing dollars.”

Briley appointed the nine-member committee to provide recommendations on how to use the property, if the Metro Council ultimately agrees to the $12.8 million acquisition.

The move comes at a time when a controversial deal to trade Metro-owned Church Street Park for the Morris Memorial Building’s parking lot appears to have stalled.

"It’s a unique moment for me, for the city council and for the city to demonstrate that we — in the face of a lot of growth and prosperity — are also going to remember what was important about the city 100 years ago and leave a legacy for generations to come," Briley said in an interview with The Tennessean.

The mayor said if the committee reports that building isn't a cost-effective way to develop new affordable housing, there is potential to use the space as a business incubator for minority-owned small businesses or Metro facilities.

Clemmons: Land swap a 'pawn'

While the Briley administration said the possible purchase of the building is unrelated to the land swap deal, Clemmons called it a "pawn to try and sell Nashvillians on this sweetheart deal for Church Street Park."

"The mayor’s latest scheme to redirect affordable housing funds only serves to create more instability and distrust in Metro government, as families across our county continue to be displaced every day," Clemmons said in a statement Sunday, adding that he supports preserving and protecting the "culturally significant landmark."

Clemmons, who announced his run for mayor in January, said he thinks the city needs to invest at least $50 million into affordable housing annually to be "remotely effective."

"Metro must treat this issue like the crisis that it is and create a dedicated revenue stream that sufficiently funds the Barnes Fund and affordable housing projects throughout our entire city," he said.

"Those wanting to build affordable and workforce housing, nonprofits and private developers alike, have to know the money will be there."

Clemmons pointed to Austin, Texas, and Portland, Oregon, Nashville's "so-called peer cities," saying they are investing hundreds of millions.

"We need to be asking these large corporations that want to move here to invest in affordable housing for their employees, among other things," Clemmons said.

He said the city should consider charging linkage fees for developers of large-scale projects, and continue to use bonds when appropriate.

Briley's administration is expected to announced its affordable housing plan soon.

"It's easy to take complicated issues and turn them into sound bites or conflate things that are not related, particularly when you are not in the trenches doing the real work," said Morey Hill, the communications director for Briley's campaign.

"What's not easy is crafting a multi-pronged, lasting and powerful approach to something as important as affordable housing. That remains Mayor Briley's focus."

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