Renewed Hope for Knoxville CoupleTitle
Renewed Hope for Knoxville Couple
After years of moving from place to place, Karen and her husband were ready for something new – a safe, stable place they could finally call home.
In early 2024, Karen and her husband were living with friends. Though they had a safe place to stay, it was far from ideal. They were an hour away from the nearest grocery store, they lived far away from their children and faced ongoing challenges with her husband’s health. After two years of searching, hope finally arrived when they connected with Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC).
The opportunity came through First Creek at Austin, an affordable housing complex developed by KCDC near downtown Knoxville, completed Phase III in December of 2025. Since the completion of its first phase of construction in 2022, the development has created more opportunities for Knoxville residents by increasing the number of affordable housing units.
Karen learned about First Creek at Austin after her son encouraged her to look into the possibility of an open unit. Shortly after taking her son’s advice, Karen heard from KCDC about a unit available – a dream for Karen and her husband.
In 2026, the couple found a place to call their own. The apartment’s accessibility features and amenities have provided a renewed sense of comfort, independence and stability.
“I loved it when I first walked into the apartment because it had all the appliances,” Karen said. “It has the refrigerator, stove, microwave dishwasher and washer and dryer. We didn’t have to buy any appliances, so that was a real plus. We’ve been good here.”
Today, Karen and her husband have the stability they spent years searching for. Their fully accessible home has made daily life easier as they continue to navigate ongoing health issues. This new chapter has also brought them closer to their children, allowing them to make up for lost time. Thanks to the affordable housing opportunities that First Creek at Austin has provided, the couple can now focus on spending more time with family and building a more stable future.
“I’m thankful that I’m down here because me and my husband are not getting any younger and our children are getting older and that part where we were homeless, that made us apart from our children and that really hurt. I’m thankful for the help that we got, or we would have been on the street,” said Karen.
First Creek at Austin was partially funded through the Low Income Housing Tax Credits and the National Housing Trust Fund – both administered by the Tennessee Housing Development Agency.
