Earlier this week the Metropolitan Action Commission announced that the remaining funds to help with rental assistance and other emergency assistance has run out.
Although Metro Action still has funding available to help with utility payments, the agency is concerned about the impact limited funding will have on the community to help with rent, mortgage and property taxes will have on the community.
“Our agency has the largest capacity and funding to help household expenses for residents with low to moderate incomes. When we are out of funding that leaves a large void in the level of support offered to residents who need help,” said Dr. Cynthia Croom, Metro Action Executive Director.
The agency’s yearly rental assistance program helps income eligible residents who are experiencing a temporary interruption in income due to layoffs, illness or other emergencies to receive one-time help with rent for one-month. Metro Action has spent its entire emergency assistance budget of nearly $475,000 just three months into the new application period, which had previously carried the program through the entire 12-month application period.
Receiving funding through the U.S. Department of the Treasury allowed the agency to greatly increase the level of help available. In 2021, the city was awarded the Emergency Rental Assistance grant to help COVID impacted residents to catch up on rent up to 15 months in arrears. This funding allowed the agency through its HOPE program to help 8,075 unique households covering over $67 million in housing debt for Davidson County. This grant officially closed in December.
Metro Action has reached out to its funders for additional support but do not anticipate any additional funding before early summer.
In addition to rental assistance, Metro Action is also out of funding for help with mortgage payments, utility and rental deposits, property taxes, prescriptions and prescribed supplemental nutrition items. However, the agency can still help with utility payments such as electricity, natural gas and water payments.
Although many organizations are also out of rental assistance funding, there are a few organizations with limited funding. To access the complete listing of organizations with funding as well as their eligibility criteria, residents are urged to contact the 211 Helpline by dialing 2-1-1 or visit the 211 Helpline website at tn211.myresourcedirectory.com. There are computers in the Metro Action lobby for any customer that would like to utilize them to access the 211 Helpline resources.
About Metro Action
Metro Action is located at 800 2nd Avenue North. Funding for the yearly rental assistance program is provided through Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) funding by the Tennessee Department of Human Services as a passthrough grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. All programs of the agency are for income eligible households in Davidson County.