Pictured from left to right are Paul A. Dellinger, Marie Sheedan, Stephanie Crossland, Katie Moore, Tosha LeSure, Kellie Stines, and Ed Lay.
The Cleveland Housing Authority received a Housing Trust Fund grant from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) that will help enhance accessibility for public housing residents. The $87,545 grant was approved by the THDA board of directors and will be used with $114,946 in matching funds from the housing authority.
CHA will use the grant funds to renovate a public housing duplex apartment in Cleveland with features that meet full accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Other upgrades will include efficiency improvements to the apartment’s heating, insulation and lighting.
THDA Executive Director Ralph M. Perrey said the new apartments will provide safe, decent, affordable housing to individuals in need of it most. “The Housing Trust Fund is open to creative solutions, designed locally,” he said. “This is a great example of addressing a specific need.”
CHA officials said the HTF funding will allow it to leverage limited capital fund dollars to meet the growing need for accessible housing in Cleveland.
“We are blessed to have been selected for this grant project and are excited about the opportunity to create more accessible and affordable housing for families who need them,” CHA Executive Director Paul A. Dellinger said. “This project includes not only improved accessibility features but also the use of High Efficiency heating and lighting to reduce energy consumption and operational costs for the building.”
The Housing Trust Fund (HTF) was created by the THDA board of directors to provide financial support for innovative, affordable initiatives that serve the housing needs of Tennessee’s must vulnerable residents.
Funding for the Housing Trust Fund comes entirely from earnings generated through THDA’s Single Family Mortgage program. HTF grants are awarded through a competitive application Tennessee Housing Development Agency, Page 2 502 Deaderick Street, Third Floor, Nashville, Tn. 37243, 615 815-2200, www.thda.org process.
Since 2006 THDA has provided over $67 million in HTF grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations across the state.