Nashville residents say they are increasingly struggling to afford a home as an influx of out-of-state buyers drive real estate prices up, leaving many with no where to go. 

Rates of chronic homelessness in the Tennessee capital have soared 77 percent this year, according to the city’s official stats. 

There were 1,525 people experiencing chronic homelessness – where someone has been homeless for over a year and has a mental health condition or disability – in the city last month, compared to 863 in the same period a year prior. 

Local nonprofit founder, Heather Young, told WKRN that the increase is driven by a sharp rise in the cost of living.

Rates of chronic homelessness in Nashville, Tennessee, have soared 77 percent this…