Jefferson City, Tenn. – Tennessee Housing Development Agency has awarded a HOME Program grant to Jefferson County to make much-needed repairs to substandard homes for elderly and disabled residents.
The $756,000 grant will allow Jefferson County to renovate or rebuild up to 10 single-family homes located within the county. The project will benefit very-low and low-income individuals that do not have the financial resources to make needed improvements to their residences.
“Providing safe, decent housing is important for all Tennesseans, and with the help of these HOME funds, Jefferson County will be able to ensure these residents can remain in their homes while improving their quality of life,” THDA Executive Director Ralph M. Perrey said.
Jefferson County Mayor Mark Potts said the city will use the grant funds to help improve the quality of life for its residents.
“Jefferson County residents are provided opportunities to enhance the livability and quality of their homes through this grant,” Potts said. “Jefferson County in cooperation with TCAC and THDA, opportunities are provided to improve livability and quality of their homes.”
The grant is being administered on behalf of the county by Tennessee’s Community Assistance Corporation. TCAC has scheduled a public meeting to outline application procedures and grant guidelines. Once applications are received, a priority list will be formed based on the level of rehabilitation work required, as well as each applicant’s socioeconomic factors. Homes that cannot be brought up to code will not be considered for the project.
Each home selected under the program will receive repairs that will bring it up to code. If the hard cost of repairs exceed more than 75 percent of the home’s appraised value, the funds will be used for reconstruction.
Anyone seeking additional information on the program should contact TCAC at (423) 586 - 7636.
The HOME program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is administered in part in Tennessee by THDA. During the most recent funding round, THDA awarded 11 competitive HOME grants statewide totaling $4.9 million.
HOME grants must be used for the production, preservation, or rehabilitation of affordable housing for low and very low income families and individuals.
