History
The
year was 1938 and a housing crisis gripped our nation. As in many other cities,
seventy-five percent of the housing occupied by low and moderate income Nashvillians
was grossly substandard.
With the passage of the first United States Housing Act in 1937, the citizens of Nashville began to work to establish a municipal housing authority. Following a vote of approval by the City Council on October 31, 1938, the Nashville Housing Authority was formed and its first meeting was held November 9, 1938.
The
Nashville Housing Authority began its work immediately. In May 1939, an application
was submitted to the U.S. Housing Authority for the construction of two low
rent housing projects. Approval of this application was received in July of
that year and construction soon began on Boscobel Heights (later renamed in
honor of James A. Cayce, first active Board Chairman who died during construction)
and J.C. Napier Homes. In August 1939, the Nashville Housing Authority also
took over the operation of Cheatham Place and Andrew Jackson homes from the
U.S. Housing Authority.
From
those earliest years and on through new construction and renovation that continue
to today, the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency has served the citizens
of Nashville, currently providing safe, decent and affordable housing to thousands
of families.
Along with the expansion of its housing programs, MDHA has assisted over the
years in all phases of land assembly, design and development, and has seen the
initiation and completion of several downtown development projects during these
decades of Nashville's growth. Among the recent projects with which MDHA has
been involved are LP Field, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Country Music
Hall of Fame and Museum, Nashville Public Library, and the Schermerhorn Symphony
Center.
