Grants for Home Rehab Available from County

Franklin County has received HOME grant funds in the amount of $250,000 from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency. These funds are for rehabilitating owner-occupied homes within Franklin County. The funds will be used to bring homes up to code. The deadline for applications is Friday, March 13.

Eligible applicants must be low-income, show proof of ownership (warranty deed, 99-year lease, life estate), have lived in the home for at least one year, and be current on all property taxes. Proof of income is required. Mobile homes are not eligible. 

Applicants will receive points in the following categories: income based on family size, number in household, number of elderly, number of disabled (must show proof of disability), single head of household, number of persons under 18 and the condition of the dwelling. 

Applications are available at the Franklin County mayor’s office, 855 Dinah Shore Blvd., Winchester. Applications are due back to the mayor’s office by 4 p.m., Friday, March 13. 

For more information call Sara Brown at (931) 379-2915.

The HOME Investment Partnership Act was approved in 1990 as part of the National Affordable Housing Act. The program provides Federal funds to state and local participating jurisdictions to carry out multi-year housing strategies through acquisition, rehabilitation and new construction of housing units and through tenant-based assistance. The purpose of the program is to expand the supply of decent, safe, sanitary and affordable housing for low- and very low-income households. The State of Tennessee has chosen to focus its HOME program on homeowner rehabilitation projects and home ownership activities.

Housing Development Agency Helps Local Resident with Repairs

by Josh Collins, Special to the Messenger

A stone’s throw away from the main campus of the University, the home of longtime Sewanee resident Mary Collins has undergone a much-needed renovation. Collins, who was born in July 1921, has lived in the same house on Oak Street for more than 60 years. As the years came and went, her home on the Plateau became dangerously dilapidated. From the roof caving in to the siding and drywall falling down, Collins’ home was in desperate need of repair. When the wind finally blew her wooden windows out, Collins decided she needed some help. She called a friend, retired Episcopal priest Joe Porter, who told her about the Emergency Repair Program (ERP) administered by the South Central Development District and funded by the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA).

“When I heard about the condition of her home, I knew we had to help her,” said Porter. “The first thing I did was contact Mike Marks over at South Central to see what they could do. Mike told me about this ERP program funded by THDA. He told me his organization could provide $10,000 of emergency repair funding with the condition that a 50 percent match be contributed by a third party.”

Porter got to work and made it his mission to raise the $5,000 in matching funds needed to assist Collins. “I sent out letters all across the community. 

Word began to travel and money came rolling in from as far as Virginia and New Hampshire,” Porter said.

Over the past 40 years, Collins has provided childcare and housekeeping services to many people in Sewanee. Well-known and beloved by all, generations of individuals seized this opportunity to help someone who has been an inspirational and motherly figure in their lives. 

After the funds were raised, work commenced on her house. The roof was repaired, and the drywall and siding were replaced. New, energy-efficient windows were installed, and fresh paint was applied throughout the house. Through the course of renovation, it was discovered that her plumbing lines had collapsed. “It used to be that it would take two hours for my washing machine and my toilet tank to fill up with water,” said Collins. “Now my washing machine works really well, I have great water pressure, and my toilet works perfectly!”

In addition to the work and commitment of Marks and Porter, one individual comes to the forefront of Collins’ mind when she thinks about the many people she has met through this experience. Rickie Meeks, the contractor on the project, devoted countless personal hours to ensuring Collins’ needs were met and that her fears and apprehensions were eased. From working around Collins’ desire to stay in her house while repairs were conducted, to bringing her a biscuit every morning for breakfast, Meeks quickly became one of her favorite people. 

On a cool October day, Collins sits warmly and comfortably in her home reminiscing with friends about her experience and beaming with appreciation. 

She is just one of the many faces behind the Emergency Repair Program funding provided by THDA and the South Central Development District. People across the state now live in safety and warmth because of the work of ERP. 

For every individual such as Mary Collins who receives assistance, there are countless more who need help. The Emergency Repair Program is currently funded with proceeds from the THDA first-time home buyer loan program. 

THDA’s board of directors voted in September 2006 to allocate $12 million to establish the Tennessee Housing Trust Fund. The four-level model for funding includes any state appropriations, THDA funds, private sector investments and matching funds from local grantees. The purpose of the Housing Trust Fund is to serve the needs of very low income, elderly and special needs Tennesseans. As the State’s housing finance agency, THDA is a self-sufficient, independently funded, publicly accountable entity of the State of Tennessee. THDA’s mission is to ensure that every Tennessean has access to safe, sound, affordable housing opportunities. 

More information about THDA programs can be found online at <www.thda.org>.

Josh Collins is the communications coordinator at Tennessee Housing Development Agency