Penny Gattis, Partner at Eclipse Music Group and Chair of the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville Music Row Build (MRB), announced today a three-year partnership with leading entertainment and sports agency, Creative Artist Agency (CAA). As an annual funding partner, CAA has committed to support the MRB and Habitat for Humanity’s mission. MRB’s 2024 build, anchored by CAA, is scheduled for Friday, November 8^th.

“We are excited to partner with CAA, who has generously stepped in to provide continuity for our annual Habitat build for the next three years, as well as help us continue to seed the Music Row Build fund for future builds and eventually establish a Musician’s Village,” said Gattis.

The partnership comes in response to the Nashville housing boom, which has decreased affordable housing availability and increased mortgage rates. According to Salary.com, the average salary in the Nashville music industry is $45,648, while a musician’s average is $21,463. Noting the discrepancy in pay, Habitat, in partnership with CAA, aims to make homeownership opportunities available for individuals and families who make 60-80% of area median income (AIM), with the goal to eventually establish a Musician’s Village, affordable housing for those in the music industry.

“We are incredibly proud of our newly formed partnership with Habitat for Humanity and are committed to leveraging our resources to create positive impact within the community,” said CAA’s Katie Anderson, Strategy & Operations, Touring Leadership. “This partnership will make a significant difference for those working and living in Nashville and for the artists and musicians who are integral to Nashville, the music community, and CAA, ensuring they have access to quality, affordable housing."

This year's MRB family is Kathy who says she had almost given up on homeownership. Her daughter encouraged her to apply and Kathy qualified for the Habitat homeownership program.

Kathy was born and raised in Nashville and has lived here her entire life. She has two adult children who both live and work in the city. She worked for the State of Tennessee as an administrator for the veteran board for nearly 40 years, retiring in the spring of 2024. She graduated as a computer technician from Nashville State Community College.

Kathy was pre-approved to purchase a home for $200,000 but hasn’t been able to find a home in that price range. She has faced issues with mold in her current rental. When the issue is addressed, she says, maintenance continues to paint over the mold instead of fixing it.

“I kept hearing and seeing things about Habitat, but I didn’t think I would be eligible to apply because I’m retired. Then after going to the website and doing some research, I came to understand that my retirement was indeed considered a source of income.”