ABOUT ME
I’m Hancen Sale, a Knoxville, Tennessee–based writer, economist, 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 converge to shape the places we live.
Over the course of my professional career, I’ve worked on legislative and policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels. Until 2024, 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 and analysis have appeared in national and regional media outlets, including The Washington Post, Knox News, The Tennessean, Compass Knox.
I have served on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, the state’s housing finance agency, since 2025 as an appointee of Tennessee Lt. Governor Randy McNally. I also serve on the boards of several nonprofits, including HomeSource east tennessee and the Knoxville Area Urban League.
ABOUT THE PUBLICATION
Here you’ll find essays, original research and analysis, and commentary on the issues shaping Knoxville and East Tennessee—along with the occasional detour into broader ideas and questions worth exploring.
I started this publication because I love Knoxville and believe good public decision-making begins with good information. Too often, debates about important local issues are driven by anecdotes or political narratives rather than evidence. My goal is to examine the issues shaping our region through data, context, and a spirit of honest inquiry.
This is a passion project—everything is researched and written in my spare time—built on the simple proposition that people who love a place will read carefully researched, data-driven analysis about it. You won’t always agree with my conclusions; that’s both inevitable and healthy. My hope is simply that we disagree thoughtfully, respectfully, and with a shared willingness to change our minds when the evidence points in a different direction.
