Maryville Housing Development Corporation announced it will break ground this month on a $3 million, 11-unit housing complex near the Blount County Health Department on McNabb Place.
The development will include a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments.
The project is part of a broader effort to improve existing properties and expand affordable housing options in Blount County, said Julie Sharpe, executive director of the Maryville Housing Development Corporation.
Funding for the project was obtained through a combination of local, state and federal grants.
“It is a significant investment,” Sharpe said. “There is extensive groundwork that needs to be done. We bid the project twice, and $3 million was the lowest bid. Some bids exceeded $5 million.”
More than 1,800 households are currently on the waiting list for the Housing Choice Voucher Program, Sharpe said.
The waiting list for Section 8 housing has been closed since May 2022 and includes more than 2,000 applicants.
Under the Housing Choice Voucher program, tenants’ rent is based on household income—30% of adjusted income or 10% of gross income, whichever is higher.
“It’s difficult for people who live in or want to live in Blount County if they can’t find housing,” Sharpe said. Local employers also face challenges recruiting and retaining workers when affordable housing is limited.
MHDC staff recently contacted 50 applicants who had been on the waiting list for more than a year, Sharpe said. Of those families, 26 had already relocated outside Blount County.
In addition to the Hannum Springs development on McNabb Place, MHDC is making improvements to the Broadway Towers housing development and is working on a separate $60 million housing project that would include 86 to 100 units.
“Hopefully, that project will come to life within the next 24 months,” Sharpe said.
Knoxville-based development firm LHP Capital has been contracted to assist with the project.