NASHVILLE, Tenn. Earlier this year, the Healthy Nashville Leadership Council (HNLC) urged city leaders who were considering inclusionary zoning to address the health impacts of housing and neighborhood composition in Davidson County.
In a position statement submitted to the Metro Planning Commission and to Metro Council, HNLC urged officials developing the Inclusionary Zoning Policy to consider three primary factors: reducing neighborhoods of concentrated poverty, creating mixed income neighborhoods and reducing the number of residents making long commutes to work.
"Neighborhoods where poverty is concentrated impact health and well-being adversely, especially during early childhood,” the position statement said. “One in five adults and one in three children in Davidson County live in poverty, a number that has risen 10 points in the last decade.”
According to HNLC, the relationship between poverty and poor health outcomes is well documented, as is the association between poverty and lower educational attainment, reduced economic opportunity and unemployment. The council is advocating to see the detrimental effects of concentrated poverty reduced through effective housing policies that included the creation of mixed income neighborhoods.
“While the premise that mixed income housing improves the health of residents is still being researched, the available research suggests a relationship between mixed income housing and improved health,” the statement said.
HNLC also suggests reducing the number of long commutes in Davidson County, which they say can impact cardiovascular fitness, weight, blood pressure and other risk factors. “The impacts of long commutes are not only on physical health but also mental health and emotional well-being, as commute times have been associated with stress, feelings of isolation and fewer social connections,” the statement said.
They cite housing prices in Davidson County as a key factor causing residents to move further away from urban centers and large employers. “As Nashville’s housing stock becomes more expensive, residents are being displaced from neighborhoods and are commuting longer distances,” the statement said. “Roughly four of five individuals in Davidson County commute alone, by car.”
They asked that final recommendations to the Inclusionary Zoning Policy include accountability and tracking mechanisms for measuring the success of the policy in creating more affordable housing options.
Click here to read the HNLC's official position statement.
MVA Director of Planning and Community Engagement Elisa Friedman, MS was appointed to the HNLC in March 2015.
About Healthy Nashville Leadership Council
The Healthy Nashville Leadership Council seeks to improve health and quality of life for those who live, work, learn, worship and play in Nashville. The HNLC is a mayoral appointed body established by Executive Order in 2002 by Mayor Bill Purcell and renewed in 2008 by Mayor Karl Dean. The Council is responsible for assessing the health status and quality of life of Davidson County residents, assessing health systems for essential services, and assessing potential forces of change; and establishing strategic priorities and mobilizing community initiatives to achieve improvements in health.
About the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance
Founded in 1999, the Alliance bridges the institutions of Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University. Its mission is to enrich learning and advance clinical research by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between Meharry Medical College, Vanderbilt University and the communities they serve.
