Policy Platform
Tennesseans are facing a housing crisis where rents, evictions, housing prices, and homelessness are all too high. In order to address housing in our state, we have to come together across geographic and political lines to ensure housing for each and every resident!
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
We believe that housing is the foundation of healthy communities, but for many Tennesseans, affordable housing is out of reach. The housing crisis is one of the most pressing issues in our state. It impacts all of us, whether we live in urban or rural areas or come from middle class or low income families. In Tennessee, 28% of residents are cost burdened – paying over 30% of their income on housing – and there is a shortage of 121,000 rental homes for extremely low income renters. Our policy solutions must prioritize the well-being of our communities over corporate profits and include those with the lowest incomes.
TENANTS’ RIGHTS
We believe that everyone deserves to live in safe, affordable, and dignified housing. In Tennessee, however, current laws make it nearly impossible to hold landlords accountable. We must ensure that all tenants are protected from exploitation, dangerous living conditions, and unjust evictions. It’s time to protect tenants’ right to organize collectively to address landlord abuse without fear of retaliation like eviction and non-renewal of leases that negatively impact all renters, but especially families with children.
ENDING HOMELESSNESS
We believe that ending homelessness in our state is possible. Communities across the nation have effectively prevented, reduced, and ended long-term homelessness through investing in permanent housing and support services and implementing programs and policies that are proven to work. We know that citing, fining, and arresting people for being unhoused further exacerbates homelessness and is less cost-effective than providing housing. When every Tennessean has the stability of a home, we all win.
RACIAL EQUITY
To tackle the housing crisis, we have to address the racism deeply embedded in our current housing systems. This includes segregation, predatory lending, redlining (race-based zoning), taking land from Indigenous Peoples, and gentrification disguised as “urban renewal.” Now is the time to reverse policies that have resulted in displacement and inequality. We can’t change history, but we can work to repair bad policy and make it possible for everyone to thrive regardless of skin color, zip code, and economic status.
policy Campaigns
We believe housing is more than a basic need—it’s the foundation for stability, opportunity, and dignity. Our policy campaigns bring together solutions to homelessness, tenant protections, and affordable housing because these challenges are deeply interconnected. By addressing them together, we can create a system that prevents housing instability before it starts, protects people in their homes, and ensures everyone has access to a safe, affordable place to live. This is about building stronger communities across Tennessee where no one is left unhoused.
On-the-Ground Policy Making
Our policies are built on-the-ground, in direct conversation with people most impacted by housing injustice. We work closely with base building organizations across Tennessee, listening to their members and learning from their experiences. That feedback directly shapes our policy platform and campaigns, so our demands are rooted in real conditions—not ideas written far from the communities most affected. This approach keeps our work accountable, grounded, and aligned with what Tennesseans are actually facing every day.
Housing Justice Across Tennessee: Voices On the Ground
ending homelessness
We believe homelessness is not inevitable—it is the result of gaps in our housing system that we have the power to fix. Our campaign focuses on both immediate support and long-term solutions, from expanding access to shelter and services to investing in permanent, stable housing. By addressing the root causes of housing instability and prioritizing proven approaches, we can reduce homelessness across Tennessee and ensure more people have a path back to safety, stability, and home.
Download our resources:
This video highlights renters, unhoused Tennesseans, and community leaders from our 2026 Day on the Hill press conference at the State Capitol in Nashville, as they speak directly to the policies needed on homelessness, tenant rights, and affordable housing in Tennessee.
tenants’ rights
Renters deserve stability, fairness, and dignity in their homes. Our tenant rights campaign works to protect residents from unjust evictions, unsafe living conditions, and discriminatory practices. Through efforts like our Tennessee Tenant Screening Protections project, we are advancing fairer application processes, expanding access to safe and livable housing—including air conditioning—and working to reverse barriers like the one-year eviction requirement that make it harder for people to secure housing. By strengthening protections and expanding access to clear, enforceable rights, we can ensure renters across Tennessee have the stability they need to thrive.
Affordable Housing
We believe everyone deserves access to housing they can afford without sacrificing their basic needs. Our affordable housing campaign is grounded in the idea that no one should have to struggle to keep a roof over their head. As we continue to learn from communities across Tennessee, we are committed to advancing solutions that expand access to affordable homes, reduce cost burdens, and ensure housing remains within reach for working families. By centering people and listening to lived experiences, we aim to support policies that make housing more attainable for everyone.
stories from Our Homelessness Listening Survey
