NOTICE: NOFA 2021 National Housing Trust Fund

2021 National Housing Trust Fund Program Description


Notice of Funding Availability - THDA announces the availability of approximately $4,334,563, pending announcements of final 2021 allocations from HUD, to award to Public Housing Authorities and Non-Profit Developers to implement eligible affordable rental housing development activities under its FY2021 National Housing Trust Fund Program Description approved by the THDA Board of Directors on January 26, 2021.

Eligible rental housing development activities include the acquisition and/or rehabilitation of units or the new construction of units for rent to extremely low income persons (<30% of area median income). Organizations must be licensed to do business in Tennessee and may serve any community in Tennessee.

Applicants must be a public housing authority or non-profit developer or who will be the owner/general partner of the final ownership entity of the proposed project.
THDA will review organizational letters of existence and licensure to operate in Tennessee as part of the application review process.

The maximum National Housing Trust Fund grant is $900,000. Applicants must apply for a minimum of $100,000.

The 2021 National Housing Trust Fund grant period will begin July 1, 2021, and will end June 30, 2024.

The application period for the 2021 National Housing Trust Fund Grant will open on April 1, 2021. All applications must be received by THDA on or before 4:00 PM CDT on Thursday, May 6, 2021. THDA anticipates notifying successful applicants by June 1, 2021.

Due to the extraordinary measures required by the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, THDA has changed the submission method for this grant.
The grant application now MUST be submitted electronically via an Electronic File Transfer (EFT). This can be ONLY accomplished using THDA’s proprietary EFT system.
Having a THDA EFT account is therefore required. If you intend to apply we recommend setting up your PIMS and EFT account as soon as possible.

To set up an EFT account, email Kathleen Norkus (KNorkus@thda.org) with your name, the Grant you are applying for, your email address and your telephone number.

Please allow at least 7 days for the account to be activated before trying to submit.

YOU MUST USE THDA’S EFT SYSTEM FOR SUBMISSION. WE CAN NOT ACCEPT TRANSFERS FROM OTHER EXTERNAL PROGRAMS SUCH AS DROPBOX.

Virtual Application Workshop - THDA will hold an application workshop via WebEx on April 1, 2021, starting at 1:00 PM CDT. This workshop is scheduled to last up to (2) hours. Important information concerning the completion and submission of the 2021 NHTF Grant application will be provided during this workshop. If you wish to attend, please email Allison Moore at aemoore@thda.org to reserve a spot. You will need to provide the name and an email address for all members of your organization who wish to attend. The deadline for reserving a spot in this worship is 3:00 PM March 31, 2021.

2021 NHTF Application Workshop Presentation

2021 NHTF Application Form

Technical Assistance to Applicants - Interested organizations are encouraged to contact THDA in advance of the application deadline to review program requirements and to ask specific application questions. THDA welcomes requests from any organization seeking a one-on-one discussion concerning the program and application requirements.
Organizations should contact Bill Lord, Assistant Director of Community Programs at blord@thda.org or (615) 815-2018.

Further Information - THDA has posted further information on our website including all application documents. Please check our web site at https://thda.org/business-partners/nhtf. If you have questions as you review these requirements or if you would like to schedule an appointment for a program overview, please contact Bill Lord, Assistant Director of Community Programs, at blord@thda.org or (615) 815-2018. The Program Description and Application will also be available on the THDA website at https://thda.org/business-partners/nhtf.

Feel free to share this NOFA to any qualified organization you feel may be interested.


About the National Housing Trust Fund

The National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) is a federal program administered in the State of Tennessee by the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) to provide funding for the production, preservation, rehabilitation, and operation of affordable rental housing for extremely low income (ELI) households. ELI is defined as earning no more than 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI) or the federal poverty limit for the county in which the housing is located.

NHTF grants are awarded through a competitive application process to local public housing authorities and non-profit organizations that are either organized in or licensed to operate in Tennessee. There is a 30-year affordability period requirement.

The National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) was established under Title I of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) of 2008, Section 1131 (Public Law 110-289). Section 1131 of HERA amended the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.) (Act) to add a new section 1337, entitled "Affordable Housing Allocation" and a new section 1338, entitled "Housing Trust Fund."

This program is governed by Title 24 Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 91 and 93; Interim Rule. Those regulations are incorporated by reference into the Program Descriptions provided below.

4/08/2020 Announcement: Inspections During COVID-19

THDA continues to closely monitor the situation regarding COVID-19 in Tennessee, and is issuing guidance to help our programs persevere through this pandemic. Effective immediately and until further notice, THDA staff will not be conduction in-person inspections. In order to continue and progress through our HOME and National Housing Trust Fund Projects, all inspections will be conducted through remote desktop reviews submitted electronically and a live virtual physical inspection. Please find the Virtual Physical Inspection Protocol Policy created by THDA to enable completion of projects already commenced, which need to be concluded within the next 30 days: THDA Virtual Physical Inspection Protocol THDA will continue to communicate with its Grantees and Administrators as further information and guidance is received concerning the COVID-19 as it relates to the HOME and National Housing Trust Fund Program. THDA values your partnership and appreciates your continued support during these uncertain times. If you have any questions, please call Dwayne Hicks at 615-815-2044 or e-mail your HOME Coordinator.

Previous Program Year Information


Access the Library of Forms needed to administer the NHTF Program


Program Manual

  1. Chapter 1 - General Program Requirements
  2. Chapter 2 - Financial Management
  3. Chapter 3 - Procurement
  4. Chapter 4 - Relocation and Displacement
  5. Chapter 5 - Acquisition
  6. Chapter 6 - Fair Housing
  7. Chapter 7 - Environmental Review
  8. Chapter 8 - Rental Housing
  9. Chapter 9 - Lead-Based Paint

Reference Materials

Resource Links

Program Tutorials

National Housing Trust Fund Environmental Reviews Tutorial - Covers the Environmental Review requirements and processes for the National Housing Trust Fund

Compliant NHTF Procurement
Covers the procurement requirements of the NHTF program, including such topics as: risks of noncompliance, procurement standards, conflicts of interest, procurement methods, limits, and resources for further information.

Need more information?

Please contact Bill Lord, Housing Program Manager, at (615) 815-2018 or at blord@thda.org