Keys That Unlock Tomorrow 

A single mother of three, Colley had been living in an overcrowded home with her ex-husband’s family, her children sleeping on the sofa as she struggled to provide a safe place for them. Affordable housing felt out of reach, and past financial setbacks during a difficult divorce had left her credit damaged, making homeownership seem impossible.

A Home for Christmas

When Chassidy Gorrell’s marriage abruptly ended, she and her three children were cast into a harsh and unsettled reality. With nowhere to turn and nothing to call their own, Gorrell searched for affordable housing and a place to call home.

A Room of His Own

Kalynn Kirchoff had some major bumps in the road on her journey to home ownership. In 2020, she was diagnosed with melanoma cancer. In 2022, the apartment she and her son, Calan, lived in flooded.

Room for Family

When Brooke Shannon and her husband moved to Gatlinburg to open an artist shop, they first lived in a small attached apartment in the bustling downtown without a full kitchen. Soon after starting their search to buy a house, they had a firm deadline they wanted to meet: Brooke was pregnant and they were determined to welcome their son into a new home.

THREADS OF STABILITY

A man stands in front of a house holding up a colorful patchwork quilt, addressing a small group of people gathered outside.

James McClain came to Tennessee’s Loudon County Habitat for Humanity in January 2023, hoping to move from a poorly maintained one-bedroom apartment to a new home — one that he would own after providing 250 hours of sweat equity helping Habitat staff and volunteers with construction.

Windows to the Future

A smiling older woman and a man stand outside a house holding a weather alert radio box. The woman wears a beach-themed shirt, and the man wears a "Creative Passion, Inc." T-shirt.

Gloria Wright owns a 50-year-old three-bedroom cement block home that she maintains the best she can on a fixed social security income. But major improvements are beyond her means – like new energy efficient windows to replace the original single pane aluminum frame ones.

Lindy Turner, Executive Director, Clinch-Powell RC&D (TN)

Lindy Turner, a smiling woman with short, light gray hair, wears a green cardigan over a patterned top, standing in front of a soft blue background with abstract mountain shapes.

Clinch-Powell RC&D, under the leadership of Executive Director Lindy Turner, is addressing the housing crisis in Tennessee’s Appalachian counties by offering a comprehensive range of services, including homebuyer counseling, rental assistance, and affordable housing development.

Housing Can’t Wait—And Neither Can Your State

State budgets are being decided now. Learn which housing investments matter most in your state and how leaders can take action.