News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
A growing waiting list for Highlands Residential Services housing spawned conversation within its board Thursday on how to move forward.
The housing authority has about 278 applicants waiting for a unit making for an estimated year wait time. Director of Operations Chris Cassetty said the numbers have lead to internal discussions on temporarily closing some waiting lists.
“I have mixed thoughts about that,” Cassetty said. “I hate for somebody to walk in the front door and say I want to apply, and we say, ‘Well, our waiting list for Cookeville is closed right now.’ However, I don’t know if that’s worse or if being honest with them and saying, ‘Look. The person at the top of the waiting list for Cookeville has been on the list for 375 days.'”
Executive Director Dow Harris said Algood, Baxter and Cookeville would be areas to consider. Harris said closing waiting lists is a normal procedure for housing authorities, but it would be a first for Highlands Residential Services.
“There is pluses and minuses for doing that,” Harris said. “You got people that come in and call us and walk in the door too and when you explain to them that the wait last is six months and now it is a year. Well, they don’t even apply. So, we got people that’s not applying, and then we run the risk if we do close the waiting list, then people think there is no need to apply when reopening.”
Harris said the future of waiting lists will be an ongoing discussion as the housing authority transitions to a new Housing Assistance Payments Assistance Program. Harris said smaller satellite areas will likely not be considered.
“Celina, Gainesboro, Monterey should not be closed,” Harris said. “But, maybe through the transition period to help purge the wait list is something we are continuing to discuss and thinking about, but this is more realistic. You got a good, solid waiting list of a year or better for Walnut Village, Willow Heights. Your six times over in Algood. You’re twice over in Baxter. Cookeville is adequate.”
Vice Chairman Jim Martin said he would like for Cookeville City Administrator James Mills to be aware the waiting list situation. Cassetty said the housing authority could easily fill 150 units if the developments were there.
“We certainly are in as a heavy development phase as the housing authority has been in 30 years,” Cassetty said. “The simple take away from that as others have said to make sure we keep the city apprised to this. The simple take away is we need more units.”
Harris said some applications on the waiting lists have been there since 2015.
