The City of Knoxville’s Community Development Department will begin accepting grant applications next week to fund programs that work to reduce and end homelessness in Knoxville. Applications will be available to download beginning Monday, Feb. 6, at www.knoxvilletn.gov/development (under “Current Grant Opportunities” at the top of the page).

The Homeless Grant, which applies to activities funded after July 1, 2017, in program year 2017-2018, may include funding from multiple sources including the City of Knoxville, Tennessee Housing and Development Agency (THDA), and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Grants will be awarded to agencies whose proposals serve the high-priority need of Reducing and Ending Homelessness defined in the 2015-2019 Five-Year Consolidated Plan. Those proposals may include: engaging homeless individuals and families living on the street; improving the number and quality of emergency shelters for homeless individuals and families; helping operate emergency shelters; providing essential services to shelter residents; rapidly re-housing homeless individuals and families; and preventing families and individuals from becoming homeless. The 2015-2019 Five-Year Consolidated Plan can be found at www.knoxvilletn.gov/development under “Reports and Plans.”

In the current funding year, grants have supported projects that assisted the homeless with: emergency and transitional housing and services; improving access to permanent housing; case management services in order to maintain permanent housing; homelessness prevention services; rapid re-housing services; and dental services. Funds were also allocated to the University of Tennessee to provide data and statistics via the Homeless Management Information System (Knox HMIS). 

“These grants allow the kinds of partnerships that help meet our mission to end homelessness in the City of Knoxville,” said Community Development Director Becky Wade.

Those interested in applying for 2017 Homeless Grant funds must attend the mandatory Technical Assistance Workshop at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, at the John T. O'Connor Senior Center, 611 Winona St. In case of inclement weather, the workshop will be held on Monday, Feb. 13, same time and location. Applications are due to the City of Knoxville's Community Development Department by 12 noon on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017.

For more information about the application and funding process, please call Linda Rust at 865-215-2357 or email [email protected].