Rental Housing Advisory Board

Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) has developed a database of all rental housing in Tennessee. It is functional now and 154,160 searches have been made since it's inception in April. The site is not targeted for assisted housing, or affordable housing, but is open to all rental housing. We'd like to see apartment complexes, single family homes, and duplexes. We'd like participation by large corporations and families with one rental unit.

Our goal is two-fold: to make it easier for property owners and residents to make connections and for persons suddenly in need of rental housing to be assisted quickly. We experienced a surge of people in Tennessee when Hurricanes Rita and Katrina hit our Gulf Coast. THDA, the state's housing resource, was limited in its ability to help.

It's important to note the site is free, free to property owners and free to searchers. It is an on-line resource, but the information telephone number, 1-877-428-8844, reaches a call center where staff can assist a property owner, and accept a renter's requirements and mail the search results. The call center is staffed by English and Spanish-speaking operators. The site can be presented in Spanish, too.

The web-based function is what makes the site so current. There's no waiting for printing. Changes can be made on the property owner's schedule. Notes about school districts and proximity to retail centers can be added. Pet and deposit references are easy to include. Maps can be displayed to show several properties in reference to each other to help with the on-site visits. Pictures of the property are encouraged.

One benefit of particular note for property owners is that once a property is added to the database it can be marked "leased" and it will not appear when a potential renter makes a search. The property owner does not have to delete and re-key as properties are rented and become available again.

THDA is working to market the site, to the first-line partners - property owners and tenants, but also to the public at large. Nearly everyone gets asked over time "Where's a good place to live?" Parents are sending offspring into the world, and young couples are starting on their own. Employment changes bring new people to town for a short-term or permanently. This site should be an asset to owners and seekers.

For more information, contact Lorrie Shearon, Chief Strategy Officer, Tennessee Housing Development Agency, or 615-815-2013.