The NeighborWorks Alliance of TN was notified that four of the five member organizations were each awarded $500K to support existing and future workforce housing development across Tennessee.
The NeighborWorks Alliance of TN is a statewide affiliation of five nonprofit organizations working collaboratively to ensure that all Tennesseans achieve generational prosperity. Nonprofit housing development members include United Housing Inc. in Memphis, Affordable Housing Resources Inc. in Nashville, Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise in Chattanooga, HomeSource East Tennessee in Knoxville and Eastern Eight Community Development Corporation in Johnson City. They collectively provide homeownership counseling, home mortgage origination, down payment assistance, home repair, rental units and single family/multi-family housing development for thousands of low to moderate income Tennessee households. Since 2019, their collective impact has helped 4,000 Tennesseans maintain their housing and 6,000 Tennesseans become new homeowners.
The members of the NeighborWorks Alliance of TN are focused on creating homeownership and affordable rental opportunities for households from Mountain City to Memphis. The NeighborWorks Alliance of TN anticipates that this $2M investment will generate, repair, rehab or create as many as 30 rental units for seniors, over 85 rental units for moderate income families and five quality, sustainable homes for new homeowners.
Martina Guilfoil, NeighborWorks Alliance of TN member and president and CEO of Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, sees this as a critical step for Tennessee’s future and a powerful example of public-private partnerships. “The strength of the NeighborWorks Alliance of TN is in our state-wide collective impact. As an alliance, we each work with families at any point in their housing journey, helping them navigate the pathway to financial stability, secure housing, and homeownership. We are thrilled that Fahe received these funds and that several of the members of our alliance have been awarded. We know the power of this kind of collaboration, and we’re grateful for the chance to continue to nurture a positive working relationship with the policymakers across the state to make a positive impact.”
The grant funds were provided by the American Rescue Plan Act. This funding is being administered by Fahe. Fahe is a network of 50+ nonprofit organizations building the American Dream in Appalachia. Since 1980 Fahe has invested over $1.32B, generating $1.69B in finance. Channeled through their members and community partners, this investment directly changes the lives of people in some of the hardest-to-reach places, said officials.
The NeighborWorks Alliance of TN worked cooperatively in partnership with the Fahe TN Caucus and the TN Association of Housing and Redevelopment Authorities to advocate for this ARPA funding in 2022 and 2023. This award is both a testament to the power of partnership and the importance of nonprofit housing developers serving as advocates for hardworking families across the state of Tennessee, said officials.