Housing price and rent control bill advances without Nashville Chamber support

Affordable housing bill advances without Nashville chamber support
 

Jul 8, 2015, by E.J. Boyer, Nashville Business Journal -A bill that could lead to a zoning policy that mandates affordable and workforce housing advanced Tuesday night at Metro Council, despite pressure from the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce to indefinitely defer the legislation.

The ordinance passed a second reading with 27 votes. If it passes a final reading, the legislation would require Metro Planning to submit a proposal to Metro Council within 180 days. 

As originally written, the ordinance sought to introduce inclusionary zoning that required at least 14 percent of units to qualify as affordable and/or workforce housing. An amendment attached Tuesday softens that language, setting 14 percent as a goal to guide planning’s policy, not a mandate. (read more)

My Comment: I am pleased to see the Chamber take a stand. Too often there focus seems to be to advance crony capitalism rather than take a stand for free enterprise. I hope they are not co-opted by buying into a less bad version of a bad concept sweetened with more hand outs for the chamber. For now at least, they are on the right side.

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