Jan. 12, 2023 – A grant from Tennessee Housing Development Agency will allow Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties to build affordable, single-family housing in Oak Ridge.
ADFAC will use the $500,000 HOME grant for Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs) to build three single-family homes in the Highland Park area of the city.
THDA Executive Director Ralph M. Perrey said the grant funds will help ADFAC promote affordable homeownership opportunities for its clients.
“This grant will allow ADFAC to build much-needed housing that is both affordable and safe for the homeowners of moderate means,” Perrey said.
ADFAC will build, then sell, the homes to income-qualified buyers. Proceeds from those sales will be used to fund the construction of additional affordable housing.
“We are pleased to receive the grant from THDA and are excited to get to work on providing more affordable housing options for families here in Oak Ridge,” ADFAC Project Coordinator Ashley Hillis said.
ADFAC staff was joined by representatives from THDA and the city of Oak Ridge on Jan. 12 to break ground of the first home, which will be located off Waddell Place. The two additional homes will be built nearby, Hillis said.
The homes built by ADFAC will feature either a three- or four-bedroom layout with an open floor plan and approximately 1,200 sq. ft. of living space. The first home was acquired by ADFAC from the Oak Ridge Land Bank and will be located on formerly blighted property that was cleared by the city.
THDA administers the federally funded HOME program to promote the production, preservation and rehabilitation of single-family housing for low-income households.
The HOME Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HOME funds made available to CHDOs are awarded through a competitive application process to eligible non-profit organizations that meet the designation as a CHDO by THDA.
