Regional housing authority warns local waiting list is thin; ribbon cutting, move-ins slated for June

Clarence Gunner, a co-author with the regional housing authority, told the Claiborne County Board on May 4 that a locally opened waiting list for new housing produced only 30 local applications despite the authority having thousands on its original list. Gunner said the authority will first try to fill units from local applicants and then revert to the larger original list of applicants if local interest remains low.

Gunner said the new development includes one-, two- and three-bedroom units and that move-ins are scheduled for June, with a ribbon-cutting planned for the first week of June pending completion of paving and landscaping. He urged supervisors to spread the word in their districts and provided a contact phone number for applications.

Why it matters: Local preference for housing resources is a common goal of county leaders; a very small local response to an initially local-only application period raises concerns about outreach or barriers to application. If few local applicants complete the process, the authority will use its broader waiting list to fill units.

Board members discussed outreach measures and emphasized that supervisors should notify residents who might qualify. Gunner repeated the contact number for residents seeking to sign up for the local waiting list.