Statements
Mission
KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY STRONG TOGETHER
OUR MISSION is to preserve the historic Hard Bargain neighborhood by renovating existing homes, building high quality affordable housing, and enriching the lives of our neighbors.
OUR VISION is to transform the neighborhood into a diverse and vibrant community to be proud of for generations to come.
OUR GOAL is to restore the neighborhood through renovating older homes and building new affordable homes.
The emphasis is on restoring the current community and not allowing gentrification of this historic neighborhood. HBA repairs existing homes and offers quality, affordable homes for purchase to people who have not been able to attain the dream of home ownership. We also utilize our community center, Ty's House, for educational opportunities, job training, technological advancement, social interaction and community building. This is all made possible with the help of donated services and materials, volunteer labor, and financial contributions. We do this by having regular community meetings, design workshops, and having residents of the neighborhood on our board of directors and advisory board. Volunteers help by doing rehab projects on homes (repairs, painting, roofing, etc) landscaping, gardening, clean up, fundraising events and other volunteer projects.
Background
The Hard Bargain neighborhood was established in 1875. W.S. McLemore, a freed slave, subdivided 15 acres which he called HARD BARGAIN because of the difficult land deal that was struck in 1866. Hard Bargain became a thriving African American community. In hopes of preserving this historic neighborhood, a group of residents and others formed a Community Development Corporation in 2004, and in March 2006 Hard Bargain Mt. Hope Redevelopment obtained its 501(c)(3) non-profit status.
In the early days, doing repairs on homes in the neighborhood was the focus. Over time, four properties were acquired on Mt. Hope Street, Glass Street, and Green Street to build affordable housing in the historic neighborhood. David Crane, president of Crane Builders and HBA board member, has served as the builder for all of our homes. The ribbon cutting for the 1st house at 613 Mt. Hope Street was held on April 14, 2007. Following the ribbon cutting, Town Planning & Urban Design Collaborative facilitated a community design workshop where residents from the neighborhood gave input to help create a master plan for Hard Bargain. In Feb. 2008, the City of Franklin adopted the plan as a part of their Community Revitalization Plan for Franklin.
The 2nd house at 952 Green Street was completed in Nov. 2008. The 3rd house at 727 Mt. Hope Street was finished in 2010. The 4th house, a 2 bedroom/1 bath cottage at 956 Green Street was completed in 2011. And when an early morning fire destroyed the home of Big John Murphy, a life-long resident of Hard Bargain in 2011, volunteers and donors worked together to raise the money for his new home, our 5th house to build. He moved into his new home in 2012. HBA built its 6th home at 709 Mt. Hope Street for Derrick and Marquita Solomon, along with their son. Marquita is the granddaughter of Rev. Denny Denson, one of the founders of HBA. HBA's 7th home at 363 9th Ave. North was completed in 2013. We built our 8th home at 361 9th Ave. North in 2014. In June 2014, we held a groundbreaking ceremony for our Planned Unit Development. Over the past several years we built 5 new homes in a 'Bungalow Court.' The last house on this project was completed in 2019. We are getting ready to build our 14th home on Glass Street.
During the summer of 2012, Solomon Builders and the Ty 2 Foundation renovated the former caretaker's home next to the Mt. Hope cemetery. Ty's House, named in memory of Ty Osman II, serves as Hard Bargain's new community center and office.
Impact
Our top accomplishments during 2021:
1. Broke Ground 14th home in HBA's History. The home located adjacent to the oldest African American home in Tennessee state history at 502 11th Ave N Franklin, TN 37064
2. Our new Rehab Coordinator, Cleon Harrison, continues to lead the efforts of repairing homes of elderly and low-income residents in the neighborhood. He has been a tremendous blessing to our organization and to our volunteers.
3. Offered programs in Ty's House virtually . (Computer classes, financial management classes, neighborhood meetings, etc.)
Our top three goals for 2022:
1. Complete construction on new home 502 11th Ave N & 958 Glass Street.
2. Continuing our Rehab Program- home repairs and renovations for elderly and low-income home owners in the neighborhood.
3. Continue teaching computer classes and expand other classes and programs in our community center
4. Secure funding from foundations, churches, individuals, and businesses for our operating support.
Needs
1. Securing funding from individuals, foundations, businesses and local churches.
2. Buy lots or condemned homes in Hard Bargain neighborhood.
3. Developing programs in our community center.
4. Advocate for affordable housing in Franklin.
5. Obtaining in-kind gifts (tools, construction materials, paint, flooring, etc.)
CEO Statement
Hard Bargain is a unique neighborhood and Hard Bargain Association (HBA) is a unique nonprofit. Many of the current residents can trace their roots back to the original families who settled in Hard Bargain in the late 1800's. Hard Bargain has fought for over 100 years to be preserved. HBA's emphasis is on restoring the current community and not allowing gentrification of this historic neighborhood. By providing affordable homes for purchase, repairing existing homes and structures, and beautifying public spaces, HBA's vision is to help transform the neighborhood into a vibrant community to be proud of for generations to come.We are different from other affordable housing organizations with a similar focus for 3 reasons: 1. The goals and direction of HBA are based on input from the Hard Bargain residents. We are not a bunch of outsiders coming into the neighborhood with our own agenda. We are a Community Based Development Organization. 50% of our board is composed of Hard Bargain residents or neighborhood 'stakeholders' (people who grew up here or serve the neighborhood) and the other half consists of people from the greater community who care about Hard Bargain. We have regular neighborhood meetings to find out what the residents want for Hard Bargain. 2. We build high quality, affordable homes using period sensitive designs to maintain the historical significance and character of the neighborhood. Each home is unique and fits in with the existing homes. 3. We do not use volunteers to build our homes. We only use experienced general contractors, subcontractors and design professionals (some of whom discount or donate their time and/or materials) to ensure durability, longevity, and long-term safety. We are building homes that will last 100+ years, so families can hand them down to the next generation. Hard Bargain is a generational neighborhood and our homes are built to be passed down to future generations.
Board Chair Statement
Affordable housing has historically been a divided issue. In Williamson County, this issue elevates to greater heights. Williamson County is in the top 10 counties in per capita income in the United States. The median sales price for a home in Franklin in June 2021 was $570,000. Families with average salaries and to some extent, above average, are priced out of this market unless having lived here for decades. Hard Bargain Association has been successful at building below market value homes. As a result families are able to live and work locally. In addition to affordable housing, Hard Bargain performs a multitude of home rehabilitation projects. Half of the Hard Bargain board of directors consists of current neighborhood residents (or those who grew up in the neighborhood). Their guidance, along with the entire board, drives the projects that are considered, with the goal of providing affordable, quality, and long lasting housing that preserves the history and future of the Hard Bargain neighborhood.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Housing, Shelter - Home Improvements/Repairs |
| Secondary Category: | Community Improvement, Capacity Building - Community & Neighborhood Development |
| Tertiary Category: | - |
Areas Served
The Hard Bargain neighborhood is located in downtown Franklin, Tennessee
| TN - Williamson |
