Changes in federal funding for public housing are motivating redevelopment across the nation, and Murfreesboro is no exception. In response to the evolving landscape of affordable housing, the Murfreesboro Housing Authority has launched a multi-phase, multi-year plan for the redevelopment of Oakland Court, a public housing neighborhood with 76 homes on approximately 20 acres of land between North Academy and Maney Avenue.

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the 1.2 million units of public housing in the United States’ Public Housing program have a documented repair backlog of nearly $26 billion. HUD’s website also states that the program loses 100,000 units annually due to demolitions and dispositions, a direct result of the constant need for repairs. In an attempt to resolve the issue of inadequate federal funding, the voluntary Rental Assistance Demonstration program has been instituted by HUD. RAD aims to provide Public Housing Agencies and owners of HUD-assisted housing with access to stable funding through an “established industry of lenders, owners and stakeholders,” according to HUD’s website. Agencies such as the Murfreesboro Housing Authority are able to establish long-term contracts that allow for the financing of improvements and renovations through public and private debt and equity, in order to avoid consequences such as demolition.

“This program is beneficial at this time to look at what is known as public housing and to reposition what we currently have,” said Thomas Rowe, the executive director of the Murfreesboro Housing Authority.

“You can go through any public housing development, and you can know exactly that it is public housing,” Rowe added. “We want to reface our development so people can’t ride through and [see it carry] a stigma that that’s public housing. For years, we have not been given adequate funding to maintain the units.”

Rowe said that the current housing units have sewer lines collapsing under slabs and other prominent maintenance issues that cannot be remedied without additional funding.

“Our goal is to bring them up to today’s standards,” Rowe said.

If the funding is eventually secured, the plan calls for 76 homes at Oakland Court to be completely replaced with new homes, for 74 new homes to be added to the neighborhood and for general improvements throughout the neighborhood. The funding will be through secured loans and Low Income Housing Tax Credits issued by the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, if all necessary applications are approved.

The Housing Authority plans to also redevelop Mercury Court and Parkside, two other public housing neighborhoods in Murfreesboro, within the next six to eight years if funding continues to be secured.

MHA is striving to finalize the master plan for Oakland Court by July of 2019, and, once funding is secured, 30 families currently living in the neighborhood will be temporarily relocated for 12 to 18 months.

During that relocation, Phase I of the plan will be completed, with 76 new homes being built where the existing 30 stood. Then, with the new homes finished, the 30 who relocated will move into the 76 new homes, along with the 46 residents who stayed in the neighborhood during the first phase. The projected time frame for Phase I’s completion is December 2021.

In Phase II, 74 new homes will be constructed, for a total of 150 homes in the Oakland Court neighborhood. After this portion of the plan is completed, families who live in the Mercury Court public housing neighborhood on Hancock Street will move into the new housing on Oakland Court. At that time, the 15 acres at Mercury Court will be redeveloped and will include more affordable and mixed income housing, along with possible commercial development.

The plan’s first steps are simply reaching out to residents and stakeholders in the area and listening for feedback. This process has already begun, and two meetings were held with the public and stakeholders in March.

Rowe stated that, due to the increased number of cars that would be present after the addition of more housing units, the biggest concern he’s been made aware of is traffic. Some locals, however, see the development possibly causing more issues than it would solve.

“Didn’t those homes just recently get new gutters, roofs, windows?” asked David Criswell, a Murfreesboro businessman. “Seems kinda silly to tear them down now.”

Shawn Wright, another Murfreesboro real estate professional, agreed, saying, “This is a terrible idea . . . We just spent tons of money renovating these. Why tear them down and build newer houses that create more maintenance? If anything, why not sell these with contractual obligations to tear them down and build a home with [certain restrictions]?

Others say rather than grouping all of the public housing units together in one area, they may like to see the families live in neighborhoods scattered all over town.

“A thought that causes me conflict is whether or not we should continue to segregate lower income people into these housing complexes, said Bill Jakes. “I much prefer the concept of housing allowances or vouchers from the federal government that allow someone to live in a regular neighborhood.”

However, Allie Becker, a resident who lives near Oakland Court, said she sees the benefit of renovating the area.

“As for segregating them, I don’t really see it that way,” Becker said. “I am a homeowner who lives a block from these homes. My kids have gone to school with the kids who live there. Many of them wave and say hello when we’re out for walks. These people are our neighbors, and for the most part, they’re good neighbors. They also offer more than just housing in the way of daycare, gardening plots and other amenities. So having them in an area where they can easily access these things makes sense.”

For more information on the Murfreesboro Housing Authority, its plans and its mission to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing for area families who need it, visit mha-tn.org.