About the Community Development Department
The Community Development Department administers four HUD-funded Community Planning and Development (CPD) programs on behalf of Metro Nashville:
These funds are awarded annually using a formula based on population, income levels, and other factors. Priorities for the use of these funds are listed in the Five-Year Consolidated Plan, and projects to be undertaken during a program year and their respective budgets are identified in an Annual Update to the Plan. These programs are intended to benefit low- and moderate-income persons and areas.
In addition, the Department administers the Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). CDBG-DR is a one-time award made to Metro Nashville following the May 2010 Flood. The purpose of the grant is to assist housing, infrastructure, and recovery efforts specifically related to the effects of the flood. Through the Department of Energy’s WAP, funding is available to assist with the weatherization of homes occupied by low-income households. Priority is given to households that include young children, elderly, or disabled members. Examples of common weatherization measures are weather-stripping, caulking, and installing insulation to attics, walls, and floors.
MDHA serves as the Continuum of Care (CoC) Lead Agency for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, and as the Collaborative Applicant, coordinates the submission of over 25 local project applications each year. In addition, MDHA administers three CoC grants for planning, administering the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), and the Shelter Plus Care program.
Nashville Promise Zone
In 2016, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded Nashville with a Promise Zone designation. This designation provides 10 years of support including priority access to federal investments in six subzones that further communities’ strategic plans, a federal liaison to help local leaders navigate federal resources and several full-time AmericCorps VISTA members to strengthen the capacity of the Promise Zone initiatives.
Community Development Programs
Reporting Resources
View and download documentation for Community Development programs or MDHA public records.
MDHA makes funds available in subordinate financing for an Affordable Housing Gap Financing (AHGF) program. Qualified for-profit and non-profit developers with “shovel-ready” projects already approved for financing or those that can’t complete construction due to a financing gap related to increased costs and/or supply chain disruptions are encouraged to apply.
The Citizen Participation Plan is designed to provide for and encourage citizen involvement in the development, implementation and evaluation of housing and community development programs in Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County, Tennessee.
MDHA gathered community feedback on the Five-Year Consolidated Plan and 2023-2024 Annual Action Plan for annual grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The new Five-Year Plan will cover the period from June 1, 2023, through May 31, 2028.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, was passed in 2020 by the United States government to assist communities that were impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program supports community development activities to build stronger and more resilient communities. Activities may address needs such as infrastructure, economic development projects, public facilities installation, community centers, housing rehabilitation, public services, clearance/acquisition, microenterprise assistance, code enforcement, homeowner assistance, etc.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program has Disaster Recovery grants to rebuild affected areas and provide crucial seed money to start the recovery process. These flexible grants help cities, counties, and States recover from Presidentially declared disasters, especially in low-income areas, subject to availability of supplemental appropriations.
The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is designed to promote communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, and State and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals and families while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to homeless individuals, families, and communities by homelessness.
The Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) prepared a joint Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) on behalf of Metro Nashville and MDHA concurrently with the preparation of the 2013-2018 Consolidated Plan. The purposes of the AFH is to assess whether individuals and families have the information, opportunity, and options to live where they choose without unlawful discrimination related to race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or disability and assess whether housing options are realistically available in integrated areas and areas with access to opportunity.
MDHA has a long history of addressing homelessness in Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County. The agency facilitates Nashville’s CoC process and administers the HUD Emergency Solutions Grants Program (ESG), Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), and Supportive Housing Program (SHP) funds.
The Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is a local information technology system used to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services to homeless individuals and families and persons at risk of homelessness. Each Continuum of Care (CoC) is responsible for selecting an HMIS software solution that complies with HUD’s data collection, management, and reporting standards.
The HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) provides formula grants to states and localities that communities use – often in partnership with local nonprofit groups – to fund a wide range of activities including building, buying, and/or rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or homeownership or providing direct rental assistance to low-income people.
The Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) Program is the only Federal program dedicated to the housing needs of people living with HIV/AIDS. Under the HOPWA Program, HUD makes grants to local communities, States, and nonprofit organizations for projects that benefit low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families.
MDHA’s Accessibility, HVAC, Homeowner Rehabilitation and Roof programs are available to qualifying Davidson County homeowners to help with various home repairs during open application periods.
The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) was established for the purpose of providing emergency assistance to stabilize communities with high rates of abandoned and foreclosed homes, and to assist households whose annual incomes are up to 120 percent of the area median income (AMI).
MDHA’s Weatherization Assistance Program helps low-income households create a more comfortable energy-efficient home. Some weatherization items include insulation of attics, walls or floors, caulking, and weather-stripping.
On August 29, 2019, HUD announced $75 million in funding to 23 communities to help end youth homelessness. The communities that submitted applications took an important step in preventing and ending youth homelessness.