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 a Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Program. MDHA also manages more than 538 VASH program rental vouchers for Veterans experiencing homelessness.
In November 2023, Nashville’s Continuum of Care General Membership elected to designate the Metropolitan Office of Homeless Services (OHS) as the CoC Collaborative Applicant. Please click here for related OHS updates.
Where to Turn in Nashville
“Where to Turn in Nashville” is a comprehensive, online directory for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the Davidson County area.
MDHA’s Community Development Department administers ESG on behalf of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. It does not provide direct services.
Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)
Title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (1987) authorized the Emergency Shelter Grant Program. The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act) amended the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, including major revisions to the Emergency Shelter Grants program, which was renamed the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program. The ESG program is designed to identify sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons, as well as those at risk of homelessness, and provide the services necessary to help those persons quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness.
Funding is allocated to Nashville on an annual basis and awarded to nonprofit agencies on a competitive basis.