What You’ll Find Here
I write about housing, growth, politics, and the broader questions that tie them together in Knoxville and East Tennessee. My goal is simple: to make sense of the policies, economic forces, and political decisions that shape our everyday lives. I approach these topics with a focus on data, curiosity, and independent thinking rather than partisan orthodoxy.
Essays and analysis on housing, land use, and politics
Commentary on civics and current events
Reflections on personal history and purpose
Occasional policy explainers or election breakdowns for fellow wonks
Whether you’re here for the housing charts, the political commentary, or the occasional personal reflection, I’m glad you’re here and hope you find something worth thinking about.
About Me
I’m Hancen Sale, a Knoxville, Tennessee–based writer, policy analyst, and political commentator. My writing and research focuses on housing, land use, urban economics, local politics, and public policy, with a particular interest in how markets and government shape the places we live.
Over the course of my professional career, I’ve worked on policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels, with experience spanning housing, economic, and environmental policy. Previously, I served as Government Affairs and Policy Director for East Tennessee Realtors, where I led housing and economic research and advocated for land use and housing reforms across East Tennessee. My writing or analysis have appeared in The Washington Post, the Knoxville News Sentinel, The Tennessean, Compass Knox, and and I frequently provide commentary on housing, economic, and political issues affecting East Tennessee.
I currently serve as a political appointee on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, Tennessee’s housing finance agency, as well as on the boards of HomeSource east tennessee and the Knoxville Area Urban League.
