Affordable Housing Trust Fund Grant

The Affordable Housing Trust Fund Grant supports low-income housing initiatives in Knoxville, providing funding for new construction, major rehabs, and various assistance programs. Eligible applicants include nonprofits and governmental entities committed to non-discriminatory practices. Assistance may be awarded as secured loans, forgivable loans, or grants, with a focus on enhancing housing opportunities for both owner-occupied and rental housing. The grant aims to promote stability and education in housing for very low-income households.

Supports the production, preservation, and rehabilitation of owner-occupied housing for low-income households, and programs to enhance rental opportunities for very low-income households within the City of Knoxville.
Eligible Activities
The Fund is designed to accept applications for a wide variety of projects that will result in increased housing opportunities for low-income households within the City of Knoxville. Fundable activities are grouped into two categories and include but are not limited to:

• New Construction and Major Rehabs
• New construction or major rehabilitation of single family homes
• Condominium or cooperative housing development
• Pre-development expenses including architectural, engineering, and consulting services
• Interest rate write-down assistance
• Stabilization, Education, and Assistance Programs
• Minor home repair (including roof repair/replacement)
• Homeownership counseling
• Homebuyer education
• Foreclosure prevention
• Eligible Forms of Assistance from the Fund

Funds may be awarded in the form of secured loans or lines of credit, forgivable loans, grants or any combination thereof, though renter-occupied housing programs are limited to grant funding only at this time.
Awards are generally for one-year terms, but other terms will be considered if needed for the success of the project.

Eligibility

General Eligibility:Applicants may be nonprofit or governmental entities engaged in affordable housing activities within the City of Knoxville.Applicant organizations must be operated and organized so as to not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, familial status, sexual orientation, age, disability, or covered veteran status as identified in East Tennessee Foundation’s Diversity and Non-Discrimination Policy.

Ineligibility

Awards are not made to individuals.The following types of requests will NOT be funded:Projects that have explicit religious content, express a particular religious view or advance a religious purposeDebt retirement or budget deficitsEndowment funds or general fundraising campaignsCapital campaigns