News From Habitat for Humanity o

News From Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee

For Immediate Release: February 13, 2008

Contacts: Colleen Dudley, Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee

THDA and Tennessee Habitat for Humanity Partner in $500,000 Housing Project

Homes for Tennessee Project to build 20 Homes Across State in 2008

Nashville – February --, 2008 – Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee (HFHT) has received a $500,000 grant from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency towards construction of 20 Habitat for Humanity homes across Tennessee through the Homes for Tennessee Initiative.

“We are extremely grateful for THDA’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity affiliates to touch the lives of families struggling with low-incomes and additional special needs,” says Colleen Dudley, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee, a statewide organization that supports the work of Habitat affiliates in Tennessee.

“Habitat affiliates are strong partners whenever THDA provides a housing program,” said Ted R. Fellman, THDA executive director. “The Housing Trust Fund is targeted to households earning 50% or below of the area median income. Habitat identifies families who can become active members of a community and need extra help to become homeowners. We are pleased they applied for trust fund dollars.”

In the Homes for Tennessee initiative, 20 Habitat for Humanity homes will be built by the end of 2008 – four in major metro areas (Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville) with the remaining 16 being built in smaller cities or rural areas served by the following Habitat for Humanity affiliates:

Anderson County, HFH of

Blount County, HFH of

Campbell County HFH

Cleveland, HFH of

Hawkins HFH

Highland Rim HFH

Holston HFH

Jackson, TN, Area, HFH

Loudon County HFH

McMinn County, HFH of

Putnam County HFH

Rutherford County Area HFH

Tipton County, HFH-

Warren County, HFH of

Weakley County HFH

Williamson Co, HFH of

“The Homes for Tennessee houses will go to families with very low incomes, with a focus on elderly and special needs populations,” says Dudley. “Each of the 20 participating Habitat for Humanity affiliates will receive a grant of $23,250, which they will match with donations from their communities to complete the homes.

“The Homes for Tennessee homes are an opportunity not a handout,” says Dudley. “Habitat families complete a homeownership education program, and spend time building homes with other partner families before receiving the opportunity to purchase their own simple, decent, affordable and safe home with a zero-percent interest mortgage.”

Funds for the grant to Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee were provided by THDA’s Housing Trust Fund, established in 2006 to support the creation of additional housing opportunities for low-income and special needs residents of Tennessee

The Housing Trust Fund was created by THDA’s Board of Directors, after the General Assembly appropriated $1 million for housing programs in FY2006-2007. THDA added $12 million to create the fund, and is actively seeking additional state and private investment to the fund, designed to address the housing needs of the very low-income, the elderly and the special needs populations of Tennessee. With additional state funds, the first round of funding totaled $16 million.

THDA is Tennessee’s housing finance agency, responsible for selling tax-exempt mortgage revenue bonds to offer affordable mortgage funds to homebuyers of low and moderate incomes through local lenders, and administering various housing programs targeted to very low, low, and moderate income households. More information is available at www.thda.org.

Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee is a statewide organization that supports the affordable housing efforts of Tennessee’s 53 Habitat for Humanity affiliates. It is governed by a 17 member Board of Directors representing a diverse cross section of Tennessee Habitat affiliates. HFHT is affiliated with Habitat for Humanity International, which since 1976, has built more than 200,000 homes in 101 countries in partnership with people in need.