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Residents urge $30M for Barnes fund and expanded renter supports after winter storm
Summary
At a Feb. 3 council meeting, dozens of residents and housing advocates urged Mayor and Council to increase housing investments after Winter Storm Fern, pressing for $30 million for the Barnes Affordable Housing Trust Fund, $9 million for eviction right-to-counsel and a standing rental assistance fund to prevent mass displacement.
NASHVILLE — Dozens of residents and housing advocates pressed the Metropolitan Council on Feb. 3 to make steep, immediate investments in affordable housing and renter protections after Winter Storm Fern left tens of thousands without power and some families facing eviction.
Public commenters at the council’s pre-budget hearing repeatedly asked the city to fund the Barnes Affordable Housing Trust Fund at $30 million annually, expand eviction legal aid to $9 million and create a standing rental assistance fund to prevent short-term crises from becoming permanent displacement.
"We were told the city needs 90,000 homes," said Paul Pleeman, a Ridgemont Estates resident testifying against two rezoning ordinances, asking the council to explain why city projections differ from state…
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