In 2022, the City of Knoxville, East Tennessee Realtors, and Knoxville-Knox County Planning partnered to have Opticos Design, experts in the field, analyze the city's zoning code to identify opportunities and barriers to Missing Middle Housing. As a result of the report, the City of Knoxville has proposed a slate of zoning amendments that would remove these barriers. As an organization committed to serving our members by promoting sustainable community development and expanding housing opportunities, the East Tennessee REALTORS® commissioned a scientific public opinion poll to gauge public opinion about middle housing.

Executive Summary

• Most approve of the direction of Knoxville. Forty-seven percent say the city is headed in the right direction, versus 41 percent who say things have gotten off on the wrong track.
• Housing costs are clearly a major issue. Forty-eight percent say that housing costs are the most important issue for the local government to focus on. Crime and public safety is a distant second-place, with 20 percent naming it as their top issue concern.
  • Over three-quarters (83 percent) also say that housing affordability is at least a fairly big problem, with 59% who say it is a very big problem. Just four percent say that affordability in Knoxville is only a slight problem or not a problem at all, underscoring how exceptional the issue is for Knoxville voters.
  • In a November 2022 poll, 75 percent of Knoxville residents said that housing affordability was a very/fairly big problem, and 67 percent of Knox County voters overall said the same.
• Over two-thirds say Knoxville lacks housing diversity. Specifically, voters cite the following:
  • 83 percent say too little housing for younger people and those who are just getting started with their careers
  • 80 percent say too little housing for people with low incomes
  • 71 percent say too little housing for people with moderate incomes
• About half of voters (48 percent) have experienced some degree of financial strain over housing costs. Twenty percent say they have experienced a significant strain, while 51 percent say they have experienced not much of a strain, or no strain at all (34 percent).
  • Voters under age 50 (61 percent) and those who do not own a home (81 percent) report slight or significant financial stain with higher frequencies.
  • Almost nine-in-ten also say that they would have difficulty finding a new home in their price range if they had to move today.
• After hearing a brief description of proposed changes to zoning laws in Knoxville, 64 percent favor changes to encourage more multi-family development (36 percent strongly).
  • Voters under age 50 are most supportive of these changes (74 percent), with support decreasing as age increases. However, a plurality of 65+ voters remain in support of the changes (48 percent).