Information provided by the City of Chattanooga Office of Housing Policy
Find out more about the Voluntary Incentives Program:
Voluntary Incentives Program Presentation
Overview
The City of Chattanooga created a Voluntary Attainable Housing Incentive Program (VIP) for the purpose of authorizing certain incentives to be provided to property owners who seek to build multi-unit attainable housing pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 13-3-603.
The VIP waives certain zoning and land use requirements for multi-unit developments in exchange for providing rental housing attainable to low- and moderate-income households. This voluntary program is designed to increase the overall number of attainable rental units created in Chattanooga by allowing more efficient permitting and flexible, by-right land use and zoning entitlements for qualifying developments.
Want to know more about the City’s Affordable Housing Programs? Check out these resources.
How does this relate to zoning?
The VIP incentives are found in the City’s Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 38 of City Code).
What type of development qualifies for the program?
(a) Type 1 – Attainable Multi-Unit Housing - Medium. Any development with 5-9 attached or semi-attached residential units. This may include townhouse developments with 5 or more units.
(b) Type 2 – Attainable Multi-Unit Housing - Large. Any development with 10 or more attached or semi-attached residential units.
(c) Type 3 – Attainable High Opportunity Development. Any development with 10 or more attached or semi-attached residential units that is located within 500 feet of a CARTA transit stop, AND located within an “A, B, C, or D” market in the most recent Chattanooga Market Value Analysis as designated by the City of Chattanooga Office of Housing and Community Development.
Explore potential qualifying property
Chattanooga Voluntary Incentive Program (VIP) Eligibility Dashboard Map (8/18/2025)
What else is important to know?
All qualifying developments shall be deed restricted to ensure that the attainable housing requirements are maintained for a period of 30 years, in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. § 13-3-603(f).
Questions?
Affordable housing programs: mmiles@chattanooga.gov
Zoning and community planning: rpa@chattanooga.gov
Interested in moving forward with the program?
Provide written notice of interest for consideration under the program to the Office of Housing and Community Investment (HCI) within the Office of Economic Development and to the Regional Planning Agency (RPA). This can be done by sending an email to us at rezoning@chattanooga.gov and mmiles@chattanooga.gov