Employee Housing Initiatives

As a part of the University’s commitment to invest $10 million in new residential and commercial initiatives, Sewanee Village Ventures constructed and made available for sale five single-family homes for employees. This was an important step toward addressing a long-standing issue regarding the availability of housing in an area where demand for homes has increased and homes have become more expensive. A recent Urban Land Institute study encouraged the University to take this important step.

All of these new single-family homes are located very near to the center of campus, on previously vacant leasehold parcels. After a drawing in July 2023, all homes were under contract for purchase by employees. Each of these homes may be resold only to University employees in order to ensure that the University continues to have a stock of homes available to future purchasers.

At the same time these homes were offered for sale, the University made available a new Shared Equity Program to qualifying employees for these and other homes purchased in Sewanee. This program allows for the University to provide as much as 20% of the purchase price, thereby reducing the largest barrier to home ownership.