CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – In September 2022, the then-new Going Local Initiative announced it was building new homes for two Clarksville families. The houses, awarded through a lottery system, were to be built in the summer of 2023.

“When my name was pulled out, I was in tears of joy because it was an answered prayer for what my son and I needed,” said Evelyn Ramos, one of the residents selected.

Ten months later though, construction has yet to begin, and as of this week, there’s still no timetable for it to start. However, after receiving questions from Clarksville Now, city leaders have now cleared a roadblock to move forward with the project and get the two homes built.

Life on ‘standstill’

Ramos, who has lived in Clarksville for almost 36 years, said she was delighted when she learned about the program and how they were wanting to make a difference in the community. “I believed in their promising words when they said they were committed to providing affordable housing to low- and moderate-income families like in my situation.”

But since then, her life has been on standstill. “At this point, however, there is so much uncertainty and no time frame.”

She began to wonder whether the program was for real. She went to City Hall to seek answers and was assured the program was legitimate, but she still received no timeline.

Ramos said construction was supposed to start in the spring after the drawing and the mortgage preapproval.

“It’s been lingering for nine months now, from the date they announced the winners. I am not angry, but I do feel frustrated and to see my son disappointed – that breaks my heart,” Ramos said. “Why has it taken so long? What is the time frame? Is that too hard to answer?”

Clarksville Now has also reached out to the other selected resident, Shalinda Robertson.

Why the delays?

Going Local Initiative is a partnership among Mosaic Church, First Presbyterian Church and the city-run Clarksville Neighborhood and Community Services Department (CNCS), which has served as the executing authority.

The delays began when Going Local Initiative had to reapply for certification as a Community Housing Development Organization, according to Going Local’s interim executive director, Yolanda Stewart. This is an annual requirement.

Stewart has been leading the campaign to get the organization recertified, but she has been faced other obstacles.

“I’ve met with CNCS twice so they could give us some information in order for me to agree to do the recertification,” Stewart told Clarksville Now. “I wasn’t going to waste my time doing the certification only to be told that money wasn’t available anymore. So, they gave us that assurance, but it wasn’t anywhere near what they’d promised us previously.”

Clarksville Now sought the specific revised amount but hasn’t received a response.

The city said the situation was also complicated by a new process that involved “extensive training and acclimating all parties involved,” and the resignation of Dennis Newburn, the director of the CNCS Department, and the CNCS project manager, which “created a gap in seeing the process through,” according to a city statement.

After Clarksville Now began asking questions about the matter, CNCS Interim Director David Smith met with Stewart and committed for the City to award the nonprofit the full $350,000 to build the two houses, as originally promised.

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CNCS statement

City spokesman Jimmy Settle said representatives of the CNCS Department and the Going Local Initiative met Tuesday morning to discuss the project.

“The City has re-affirmed that the appropriate amount of funding is in place to move forward with these two construction projects,” Settle said. “As soon as the Community Housing Development Organization (Going Local Initiative) completes the re-certification process, the City and GLI are prepared to proceed with the construction projects.

“The City and GLI remain committed to the project, and are pleased to confirm that these two individuals will receive their new homes as they were originally promised.”

Stewart commended Smith and his team for enabling the project to move forward.