FHA Pushes Ahead with Affordable Housing Mission
One Community Update
February 16, 2026
Source: Williamson Herald
The Franklin Housing Authority is continuing its mission of making housing affordable for low-income residents despite changing times.
Derwin Jackson, president and chief executive officer of the FHA, said shifts in investing and federal funding since the COVID-19 pandemic have made things tricky for him and his staff.
“We’ve seen changes in investors and how they’re investing in low-income housing,” he said. “With what we pay on the dollar for tax credits, we’ve gone from getting 90 cents to a dollar down to 84 to 76 cents on the dollar. That means you don’t get as much equity to build housing.”
The FHA accepts Section 8, mainstream, and VASH housing vouchers. It also participates in the Homeless No More rental assistance program, which the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development administers.
The FHA also partners with more than 50 community organizations, including churches, domestic violence shelters, and the 21st District Recovery Court, to find housing for those in need.
Jackson said housing costs are skyrocketing nationwide for both buyers and renters.
“We all know housing is something that is an issue across the country, not just in Franklin,” he said. “Renting houses, those costs have gone up. Costs are sky-high for homeowners. It’s hard to find a place to live.”
Jackson commented that federal and state funds have been cut for family assistance programs that help people get jobs, learn to save, and access other essential services for people in need.
“We see those programs drying up and threatening to be cut,” he said. “But we have to keep hope alive for the people we serve.”
Part of that hope lies in God, Jackson said, as well as advocating for affordable housing needs at the state capitol.
“We need to stand up and make it known what is needed,” he said. “Our elected officials speak for us.”
Jackson said future initiatives include the proposed Bousquet Place development on Fifth Avenue North, which would consist of up to 44 workforce and affordable housing units.
Jackson praised Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson, Franklin Mayor Ken Moore, and the city’s alderpersons for their support of FHA, particularly with the Franklin Flats development and other projects.
“I’ve been here 19 years, and they have been such supporters of affordable housing,” Jackson said. “Franklin has done as much as they can.”
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